gandalf saw me today washing dishes
he glanced through the kitchen
window and saw me
his peaked cap tilted and his beard
flowing long and white
he beckoned to me saying
slip away to the low country

he looked up at the clouds
his long lip curling in a
sneer at the thought of
the egg on the plates

trees were blowing
bending slightly from side to side
the hedgerow was alive with life
milkweed tossed its succulent
stems
secret animals passed behind weeds

overhead birds were calling to
each other
dropping feathers casually
which fluttered to the ground
to be picked up by
mice to furrow away and
line their nests and
snuggle against in the cold winter
have babies on in the spring

and I stood thinking about
the shine on my dishes
and my lemon scented detergent

look at me now –
wendy (middle aged)
no longer able to fly –
held down by the weight of all those
years

just a trace of weather worn
nancy drew left in the
cocky tilt of my pill box hat

he’s here to give me my
proverbial one last chance
and he expects me to take off my
shoes and go with him

I can see him now
painting X’s on my door

by Cher Bibler