db herschel

One

The Essence

She has a need to lead.
She has a bad sense of direction. And so:
Always a step or two ahead on the walk, she keeps looking back.
To see if I'm still there.
To confirm she's headed in the right direction.

Two

Kids on the playground at school.
In groups of three, four.
Playing, laughing.
One little girl squats in a corner, exploring an empty burlap sack.
Future archaeologist.

Three

Becomes a pothole.
A necessary negotiation.
To move forward.

Four

At the subway.
Door opens.
A mother matter-of-factly says to her two kids: "Go in. Get a pole."

Five

I bring a diet book to the daycare matron.
We laugh—I didn't want to bring it unannounced.
Like: Here. I thought you could use this.
She thanks me.
Her tall and skinny son, standing with us in the kitchen, says, “My mother doesn't have a diet problem. She has a disorder brought on by nerves which causes her to binge-eat, and what she needs is not a diet book but a psychologist.”
I say, “Whoa. Thanks for sharing.”