Two Young Souls

As I walk past the river

My breath catches as I take in the fresh air

But I still feel suffocated

The bridge is supposed to be liberating,

but all I can see are the poles coming down at me

Whether it was an outside whisper

Or an inner voice

I look to the side

And for the first time in a long time, I exhale

I see two children

Unprotected from the plague

Yet

so absorbed in seeing each other

“do not touch”

they said

So the two little souls stood

and watched each other

An eerily deep moment for those who do not even know where they are wandering

I felt the reminder of life

With a shiver

followed of course,

by a smile

And pushed my being to walk to a new destination

As this one didn’t need another intrusion

but this time, the voice felt extraterrestrial

And I glanced again

At the boy who was still standing in awe

and the girl who is getting carried away.

and I wondered

foolishly perhaps

If he would find that girl at 81

She, 77

and would they cackle about how they both used to wander around the river?