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Interlude at the Fountain

A snapshot of an introspective afternoon / Freeform

By Andrew C McDonaldPublished 2 years ago Updated 5 months ago 1 min read
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Interlude at the Fountain
Photo by Josh Calabrese on Unsplash

INTERLUDE AT THE FOUNTAIN

Cooling jets of water flaunt their flowing liquidity

Tinkling their melodies of eternal optimism

Children dance through shimmering rainbows

Coated in silver wonder they play

“Tag, you’re it,” cries a joyous voice

****************

Pattering footsteps displace mercurial ponds

Frayed ponytail whips around, tickling a pert nose

Running pell-mell to catch the blonde escapee

Taunting little brother narrowly evading her grasp

Their game carries on a cycle of generations lost and found

****************

Mothers new and old chat on the surrounding benches

Watching their young charges as they speak of life

“Did you hear about Gloria’s sister?”

“You won’t believe what Franny’s boy Pete did today…”

Humanity’s conversations, always flowing, rarely ceasing

***************

Eyes brimming with knowing humor crinkle at the antics displayed

As a ruddy faced matron stretches arthritic extremities

Allowing darting needles to still from their task for a moment

As a colorful blanket of soft woven yarn being created below

Whispers a silken sigh of relief and settles into an ample lap

****************

A new mother anxiously gasps her worry

As her fragile offspring slips on an acorn

Carelessly discarded by the nearby oak

Sighing with relief as the child resumes his play

Never noticing the anxious parental concern

****************

Women chatting of life and love, husband and kids

They worry about the bills or paying the rent

Still, each mother pauses occasionally, wistfully watching

As carefree children recall to mind their own days

Splashing in the fountain and chasing the rainbow

And for a short eon in the vastness of Always

Before returning to the concerns of everyday subsistence

They turn back the clock and, for a moment, exist once more

In life’s circuitous game of “Tag, you’re it.”

*******************************************

3 of my grandsons playing in splash pad

Stay tuned for further installments. If you enjoy my writing, check out my author page at Amazon.com:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Andrew-C-McDonald/author/B005MXG90K?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Thanks for reading. :-)

inspirational
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About the Creator

Andrew C McDonald

Andrew McDonald is a 911 dispatcher of 30 yrs with a B.S. in Math (1985). He served as an Army officer 1985 to 1992, honorably exiting a captain.

https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Keys-Andrew-C-McDonald-ebook/dp/B07VM843XL?ref_=ast_author_dp

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

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  1. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

  2. Compelling and original writing

    Creative use of language & vocab

  3. Excellent storytelling

    Original narrative & well developed characters

  1. Eye opening

    Niche topic & fresh perspectives

  2. Masterful proofreading

    Zero grammar & spelling mistakes

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    Arguments were carefully researched and presented

  4. Easy to read and follow

    Well-structured & engaging content

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Comments (9)

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  • Grz Colm5 months ago

    Loved these snapshots full of feeling. Well done!

  • Donna Fox (HKB)5 months ago

    I loved this Andrew, everything from the flow of the piece to the imagery you were able to impart! Such a great poem, well done!

  • B.Me 7 months ago

    Wow! Oh the nostalgia. It was the dancing through rainbows that got me! Reminded me of summer moments under the sprinkler with my siblings and cousins 💞

  • Berry Driven7 months ago

    This brought me to tears. Just wonderful. I'm living that right now every day watching my son grow up. You truly are a brilliant writer.

  • L.C. Schäfer8 months ago

    Feels like I'm there!

  • KJ Aartila9 months ago

    This was so vivid! I could see, hear and feel everything!

  • This was like a painting but with words, very nostalgic and vivid. You certainly have a way with words! Loved your poem!

  • Deborah Lane2 years ago

    What a beautiful and wistful picture. This is written by a true poet. Great work.

  • Emily Williamson2 years ago

    Really paints a beautiful picture. I was drawn into the scene. Brought a wistful smile to my face. Great job.

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