Behind the Door
she saw
the dust
swimming
in the ray
of a closed
window
and thought
she heard it fall
as it touched
the floor
where a trace
of footsteps
left a sole
behind
the dust settled
on well-loved
Blue
and the bottom
of teacups
and bathtubs
wrappers of crayons
and crust
half-eaten lollipops
and spilled milk
wet mittens
and socks
turned pages
and magic tricks
leaves and sticks
and every rock in the river
brown boxes
that were never boxes
but boats
stars stuck on the wall
wake up at night
the cat didn’t have a home
neither the dogs
the birds, the rabbits, the hamsters, the fish, the gecko
the squirrel
minnows, frogs, fireflies, butterflies, inch worms
a white moth
a brown moth
a ladybug
a beetle
a bee
a lizard
broken wings
and tired deer
raccoons
and a fox that was
jest too fast
like that hummingbird
magic was
in the air
in every breath
it whirled and twirled
and rumbled and ran
it zigged and zagged
and crawled and stood
and pirouetted
and glided and spun
and drifted
quietly
across the floor
winking and blinking
out the door
leaving a trail
a hidden path
an opening
in a field
of wheat
a forest
of snow
an ocean
of sand
a mountain
of mist
a meadow
of orchards
red apples
and emerald cities
“follow, follow, follow, follow, follow
the yellow brick road …”
TL