while the radio crackles
with news of fires kindled
more hate in the name of God
a moving murmur
in long robes and glittery dresses
in street clothes and sneakers
stroll down asphalt paths
stream across a soccer field
answering a call to prayer
my blond girls
in matching pink shirts
can’t help but join the throng
following the laughter
of a playground bursting with children
overlooking the meadow
we watch the penitents
with the son at our back
under the sharp blue dome of heaven
and on our way back to the radio
we run in the green field,
kicking the ball
in jubilation
a seven-year old
tells me about his holiday
as I try to teach my daughter
to share her special pink soccer ball
Posted in: