Two strangers 
walked the beach at dusk
worried about the tide.

A quiet day with
rumpled wispy clouds interrupted
by a straight contrail.

A dead branch  
on the dry desert floor.
Gentle clouds overhead.

This week’s installment of Russell and Hannas’ adventures. Read the whole book by going to http://www.amazon.com/author/edwardlehner

Moving on up the road, I thought of our talk last night and as strong a free spirit as Hanna appeared to be, she suddenly seemed so fragile. I realized also that I might be considered fragile as well, but in a different way. How many others were the same as us?  Didn’t we all have our own drama that we carried with us? From a Chicago banker to a minimum wage worker trying to support a family, didn’t we all carry our upbringing, our mistakes, our grief, our lost dreams?

I tried  starting a conversation several times but other than the stop for ice cream, she seemed aloof and not interested. While we had ridden in silence other times, I sensed something different today, like she was somewhere else, staring out her side window. I thought I saw her wipe her eyes once and asked, “Is something wrong?”

 She shrugged, answering like she was far away, not looking at me, “Yeah, I’m fine, Why?”

“Just wondering,” I said, dumbly, not knowing how to pursue it any further. I shook it off and gave her the space I guessed she needed.

Three ducks asleep
on quiet water alert.
They swim away