i was going to paint ducklings and ducks today…

all day

since i saw them,

newly hatched,

all waddling behind their mother –

hope and trust in motion –

that is what i was going to paint,

as if one can control these things –

.

but as i drive down the dirt of the road home,

there, in front of my driveway, is a small bundle of black fur, in the road

with two gals and a guy – their car stopped just ahead-

i pull into my drive, stop.

get out.

go to the one girl who is now cradling the little limp body…

what do i do? she asked,

you give him to me, i answer.

her eyes fill up,

so do mine.

his limp body, still warm, still perfect, too silent in my arms…

thank you so much for stopping i say..

bless you… really

i turn up the driveway…a small drop of red now appearing on the jet black nose…

we dig a grave, and place him in it….

and pray

for the small young cat, for the girls that stopped

and for the stranger that killed him with their car…

.

we sit down for a moment, watching the light fade,

our backs to the graveyard – and when we turn back,

there is a small black cat

sitting atop the newly turned earth..

we blink – for a moment reality shifted –

the suddenly present black cat, looks down to the ground and then back to us…

this is real

and

i realize trust and hope

in motion.

the ducklings were only the preamble.