sitting idly a moment
tearing her gaze away
meaningless numbers on the screen
looking out the window
she’d almost forgotten the world outside
frosty fall morning
visible breaths on passers by
children at play nearby
there a girl was a whirling dervish
a boy playing with his shadow
another boy walking awkwardly
like Chaplin’s Tramp
viewing the playground
she looked for her counterpart
not in the foot races
the jump rope rhymes annoyed her
the swings were always taken
there- under the tree
a girl that she could have been
sitting hunched over a book
a smile spread across her face
Advertisements