Saturdays In The Park

Saturdays In The Park
by denny



It’s Wednesday, the week half gone
as I sit at my desk, doing the meaningless things
that have become the boring routine of my life.
It pays the bills, I guess, it’s a “living” they say
as my secretary brings in the mail and
I check my Daytimer just to make sure
that I’m not missing anything “important”.

Note to self – pick up a birthday card for Beth.
Not my weekend to have the kids so
I’ll drop it off in the mail tomorrow
so at least she knows that I didn’t forget again.
I glance at the family photo on the corner of my desk
remembering when that word had other meanings.

And my mind wanders to those Saturdays in the park
with the kids playing soccer with their friends
before we went off to Baskin Robbins for ice cream,
before I built this wall between me and my dreams.
I still go to the park on Saturdays,
but now it’s to watch other families at play, a voyeur,
trying to find meaning in the lives of others.

Tonight, on my way “home”, pick out a card for Beth
and probably another bottle of Johnnie Walker,
Johnnie and I became close friends these past years.
I’ll put on a CD, something mellow, and sit
in my favorite chair, gazing out the front window
reliving once again those Saturdays in the park.
adding one more brick to that ever-growing wall.