After the reading, a few of my favorites
left in the pockets and backpacks of strangers.
Carried through the door,
down a sidewalk,
to a café or pub or home,
no doubt some were left
with small bills beside a napkin holder
or ended up on a pile of papers at the back of a desk.
On their own,
these small eyes on the world trot,
like spotted colts through a gate left open,
no one chasing after them
in a panic.
Paul Miller is retired and lives, with his wife, on a mountain lake in the highlands of Guatemala. Watching lizards, birds and butterflies is a pleasant diversion from writing, cooking and fixing whatever needs attention.