An Angel Smiled At Me
An angel smiled at me today,
I almost passed her by.
A tiny little slip-of-a-thing, swallowed by an oversized coat,
Face hidden by wind-tossed hair.
I wasn't thinking of whose she was,
Only that I was running late, vaguely annoyed at "whatever".
Unaware of passing lives also trapped in their own isolations.
Then I heard her laugh, freely, contagiously, the way I used to.
Fleeting resentment passed through my mind,
That I'd noticed. That I wanted to stop.
For a brief moment I was reminded of summer days, of climbing trees
And skinned knees.
Running through sprinklers and warm seas.
Memories made me stop and turn...
There she was.
Not more than six. Slipping between people who took no notice,
As if she was the mailbox on the corner.
Caught in her own sidewalk world of make-believe.
Chasing an unseen rainbow... and then she caught me watching.
Undisturbed, her face burst into a happy grin as laughter bubbled forth,
Her eyes glowing like Christmas morning.
Pushing the hair away that would not stay still, pausing in her solitary game.
That single moment when we took each other in seemed like lifetimes.
Something inside me quietly burst free.
I continued on my way, but the day seemed brighter.
Nothing had outwardly changed; I was still late, but I had the curious urge to skip to the corner;
To roll down a grassy hill and play hide and seek.
At the corner I turned just to see if she was still there,
To send her a silent thanks.
As if she heard, she turned... and an angel smiled at me, again.
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