In May of 2020, during Stay Home/Stay Safe, I started planning a trip to Walt Disney World. I hadn't been there in fourteen years, and this gave me something fun to do.
The shuttle arrived at my resort, I retrieved my bag, and got in line to have my bag stored until my room was ready. In front of me were two men, and in front of them were two women, a middle-aged mother and adult daughter I can reasonably assume.
The rule was masks must be worn indoors and on queues, so I wore a mask. The mother turned around and glared at my eyes. Like mother, like daughter, the younger version also ignored the Impolite to Stare rule.
Time and money spent -
a vacationer hopes for
a warm arrival
On the last day of the trip, I struggled a bit to fit my backpack into the pouch on Soarin' Around The World, and my husband didn't help.
My son, who also heard me struggling, didn't help either.
Suddenly, a man appeared next to me and very kindly helped me.
Small acts of kindness
really aren't small at all -
gratitude goes far
These two strangers, opposite ends of the spectrum, with their actions that lasted mere seconds, have lived in my thoughts far longer than that.
~~~~~
Author's Note: This poetry form is called haibun. It combines prose and haiku.
openadoor34 01/25/2023
YOU ARE READING
Park Bench Poetry
PoetryTake a leisurely stroll through the park, sit on a bench facing the pond, and watch the ducks frolicking around the fountain. A woodpecker taps at a weeping willow, and a great blue heron takes flight from a small island in the pond. In these peacef...
