south into the commons
and there’s the faint skunky smell of weed
and the flowers are bursting like
a proofing sourdough and
girls are chasing their puppies
which are chasing squirrels
which are running up trees and
it’s enough to overlook for just a minute
that you can’t make out anyone’s faces
since they’re all covered up
but for a short while it’s alright
because even from behind the fabric
you can see the smile in the eyes
of the children and the
wagging tails of dogs and
the flowers are telling you
there’s still color in the world.