Normalcy

On my way to work, a man

And his Shih Tzu

are the characters of the street

Man and his dog provide normalcy

To my working mornings

And perhaps to others’

Neither they know me, nor

I know them, yet when

They are absent from their

Morning walk, I feel unease

At the cross-section of Dunn Elementary

A school guard in her orange jacket

On school day is the character

Of the cross-section

When she is absent, I feel unease

Monday through Friday, when I

Step in NanoFab building where

I work, Joe the custodian

Is attending to the needs

of the building, as expected

to provide normalcy to life with

just being there

I say “Good Morning Joe’ and

He replies “Good Morning Sir,

It is a good day” and smiles

Man and his Shih Tzu, school crossing guard, and

Joe the custodian are

The plugs in the holes of life

As you and I are to others