The sun beats down over the park, another glorious day at hand,
The cool breeze in the air compellin’ the tall trees to a gentle dance,
Birds soar through the sky, looking down at the strange earthbound juveniles,
The offspring of those strange humans running and frolicking,
Keeping the adults entertained and laughing but sometimes testing their patience,
Among the young families, weekend warriors and retired couples a lone figure’s emerged from his rabbit hole,
Attracted by the picturesque outdoors, a welcome change from the hermit life indoors,
Left the apartment, dressed in plain shirt and slacks, sunglasses on and hair slicked back,
Thirty minutes to be spent wandering, maybe forty max before returning,
Nature sure is invigorating, enhanced by the healing touch of sun,
‘Perfect day for a walk’, thought he as he filled his parched lungs,
Made his way to the park where the party seemed to take place,
Fortunate that it’s still mid-morning, surely by afternoon there’ll be very little space,
Circled the vast patch of greenery within the concrete jungle of the city,
Three full laps should suffice, consider this a dose of weekend exercise,
Passed the obstacle course where the young performed like monkeys in the circus,
Hanging, swinging and jumping, occasionally got their parents panicking,
Joggers comin’ from all directions, made like Roadrunner with no signs of slowin’
‘Mirin’ the flowers and trees, their movement’s mesmerizin’ dictated by the wind’s constant blowin’,
Meditated over the fountain at the center, on which stood several sculptures posin’ for photographers,
Buskers doing their thing nearby as kids prowl the fountain wanting to touch the muscled marble warriors posing with drawn weapons,
Our walker trudges towards a glade of trees lined with benches, found one that’s vacant,
Sat down and started meditating, happily on his lonesome among fellow weekenders,
Unaware his momentum was about to be rocked, rolled, shaken then flipped over,
She came from out of nowhere, sat on the same bench, away from him, mind you, way out the opposite end,
Blocked off the world through plugged ears, head bouncing gently to a tune that only she can hear,
Wearing a pink long-sleeve despite the warmth of the sun, shiny raven hair tied into a bun,
Fringe held back by a clip, away from her eyes, lips a bright red and her skin a pearl-white,
Several vacant spots nearby, why sit in one already taken?
Paid her no mind at first, he went out for relaxation and not socializin’,
Let her and the rest carry on while he minds his own business,
His powers of resistance were soon challenged and her scent was the catalyst,
Sweet and fruity yet hardly nauseating, slowly he turns and observes her movements,
Playin’ with her phone she seemed oblivious, occasionally looked ‘round all directions,
Relieving the stiffness in her neck and back, waiting for a friend, perhaps?
Her head bobbing to the beats within her plugs, her upper body dancing too,
The hair bun shook slightly as she hummed, gotta admit it’s kinda cute,
Couldn’t deny these feelings, she’s the flame and he the proverbial moth,
After years of flying solo he might have found a potential co-pilot,
Tried to gather his train of thought, time to get back on course,
‘You’re on the brink of derailment,’ muttered he, ‘full steam ahead and floor it!’
Had no intention of fishing but one can’t predict the ocean’s patterns,
Maybe her presence is a sign, it’s now or never, he’d be foolish not to seize this moment,
‘What’cha gotta lose?’ asked his inner voice, ‘man up and talk to her,’
Sounded like a double, the fear of rejection’s a heavy one to bear,
He eyes her once more, just as she looked towards his direction,
Their eyes cross and paralysis hits him, she smiles back in response before playing with her phone again,
Could this be an opening? Suddenly confidence is sky-high, gone are the ever-swirling presence of butterflies,
Gotta shoot his shot or forever wonder what might have been, put it all on the line and go all-in,
Three deep breaths and a silent prayer, summoned all the courage he could muster,
Silenced the nerves by focusing on a potentially brighter future,
But alas, she looked to her left and waved joyfully, jumped to her feet excitedly, ran towards a handsome gentleman and threw her arms around him passionately,
“You’re finally here,” she cried, “Hope you didn’t wait too long,” he replied,
“Not at all,” said she, “well then let’s go,” said he,
Off they went, the gentleman and his lady,
Our guy stands up and heads back, slowly,
Enough of the outdoors, gonna head back inside,
She was someone else’s catch, better luck next time.