I’m supposed to drive to Raleigh,
2.5 hours from here and stay
in a hotel alongside a creek
that sometimes floods
(as does the creek behind my house),
to immerse myself in
a sea of poety.
All of these plans could
be swept away by the winds
and water of the pending hurricane.
So, why do I still plan?
Life had taught me
all can change sooner than
the weatherman predicts,
sooner than my doctor thinks.
In an instant, crossing the street,
or stumbling on a sidewalk crack,
a new virus,
waiting at a bus stop
shopping in my favorite grocery
Someone’s car, my clumsiness,
germs, someone’s gun fueled anger,
all of these can take me
to the “other side.”
I know because my son
was hit by a car on a night
he had plans,
so as I plan, I add, God Willing,
Deo Volante, to my notes,
knowing all could end now
but not worrying because once I step
to that other side, there will
be loved ones who await me there.
Joan Leotta. Author, Story Performer
