yesterday, a flock of small children invaded
with all their gear–crayons, Legos, picture books,
stuffed animals scattered everywhere–
a fluffy inanimate zoo, with a tendency
towards unicorns
Luckily, it was a day awake enough to choose
from the river of images rushing by
to remember the trick, and pluck from the river
which image to hold (the one that builds
a tiny joy cathedral in the mind)
Long gone, the invaders
left behind crumbs, juice box carcasses,
and crooked bits of paper taped to the walls,
waist high, white, red, pink, vaguely heart-shaped
on one, Charlie had scribbled “Cute!”
Puff Of Smoke Poems 