"time flies on wings of lightning"

no mama on the porch
point and shoot camera
ready
but

not this year

no shiny school faces

books, lunch in hand

squinting into the sun

"i'll count to three
then say cheese"

thirty years

folders

pencils

notebooks

new shoes

thirty years

now i'm squinting

sun warming

an empty porch

empty hands

so thankful

for the chance

those many first days

thirty

...