Central Park Proposal
Hot summer afternoon
By the pond, sun glaring down
Upon fields of people
Walking, taking, watching
A couple holding hands strolling
He guides her to the pond
And we know what’s about to happen.
Camera man sets up shots and rolls
Like a movie producer calling action
the average looking couple chatting
Standing still talking by the water
Tourists stopping in tracks to see what’s happening,
butterflies fluttering as if they too know
Heart beats stop like broken clocks
Time stands still and so do our breathes
He looks nervous, buzzing like a bee
He kneels in green grass taking her
Pale thin hand in his and asks her
To be his bride. The embrace
Like long lost lovers meeting after years apart
Like a mother welcoming home her child
From college, like child saying goodbye
To a dying parent holding on for as long as she can.
And they kiss, long and hard sealing a bind
Like sweet syrup drizzled over pancakes,
Dripping surgery affections like confections on Halloween.
Emotion emanating like bright light in a darkened room
Like lava exploding from a volcano
Like champagne popping on New Year’s Eve.
We applaud their happiness, some sighing in joy
Others sadness, as we shout congratulations
To the passing couple, tears of joy streaming
Down the their faces like rain on a window
Faces flushed with excitement, their journey begins.
