Watching the Neighbors

My neighbor carefully paints the edge of her car’s trunk with white out
because the too-small-to-notice scratch interrupts her well-manicured
desire for perfection

Another neighbor tosses water balloons across the spring lawn to her daughter
because the beaches are closed and they yearn to feel the surprise of
water splashing on skin

My elderly neighbor walks her white-haired toy poodle on the usual 4 p.m. route
because it gives them the nostalgia of normal, a small taste of freedom
embraced by fresh air 

Across the alley, a neighbor spins milkweed into monarchs, releasing them as blessings
because she wants to remind the world that with tender love and compassion
life will endure