Well Here We Are

"Night Travel," by Paula Baader

Well Here We Are

Sky taupe with snowlight and moonlight and cloud
crawling in the window and my son sleeping sprawled across my legs
going nowhere with Peter Pan
who as I understand it as an adult is a great menace
Outside zero bombs flay our neighborhood to its quaking skeleton
The only injury in this room is a cut on my pinky under a bandage
Everything is terrible
Everything is beautiful

Shelter in Place

Shelter in Place

My baby breathes on me

and I match his breath

This is a prayer

Right now a man with a gun

is in a building at a university

a few miles from my home

Those on campus are told to

Shelter to Run Hide Fight

My startled heart shudders

and flaps its wings Also now

parents all over the city and 

country whose children are here 

are praying together quaking

in terror but not alone 

Let us all be safe

Let us breathe