– Acts of Devotion-

Patience is the science of peace.

I stand here writing a love poem to the world,

on the street corner of a grocery store.

Watching the cars drive by, sweeping leaves away from the sliding glass door.

Inside I feel the lights, the hours, the familiar faces…

I feel my genuine smile, wishing and knowing it can do more…

The slow movements…the breathing… the chopped conversations.

The bits of stories…

The bits of lives I get to know.

The lives of customers, co-workers and my own…

The grey clutter…

…at times, chaotic emotional-noise in the background… 

The evening moves on.

Just two of us left,

keeping the dream alive.

Providing our service and smile to all whom come.

Those loyal fans manifesting an afterthought of ice cream…

 or a premeditated cold-dinner after a long day.

Closing, we shut the door and turn off the lights…

almost there…

filling the yellow bucket, roll-squeaking onto the floor,

catching my self thinking-feeling there is more…

Not-that-I’m-too-good for/better-than…

But that there is more…

Feeling as if I’m mopping the floor with my dreams,

I realize…

Why would I mop the floor with my dreams…

when I can mop the floor with devotion to them?

Alex