praise song

to my aunt blanche

who rolled from grass to driveway

into the street one sunday morning.

i was ten. i had never seen

a human woman hurl her basketball

of a body into the traffic of the world.

Praise to the drivers who stopped in time.

Praise to the faith with which she rose

after some moments then slowly walked

sighing back to her family.

Praise to the arms which understood

little or nothing of what it meant

but welcomed her in without judgment,

accepting it all like children might,

like God.