Sitting in the front row
and my heart stops.
Stuart Little is in danger
Grave Danger
-and he doesn’t know! But we know!
The tiara on my 4-yr old niece
twinkles as she leans forward
eyes and mouth wide.
Every muscle taut
her wand hand grips her tutu
and her other stretches out
fingers splayed wide
to reach Stuart
to grab him, to save him, to safe him.
My heart stops at the naked yearning
shining from her.
Sitting on my sofa
and my heart stops.
The Portapique memorial
-a year? A full year?!
and the people
who loved
twenty-two people
offer twenty-two vases
of long-stem white roses.
As a Mom bows her head and clasps her hands
my heart is a yearning 4-year old in a tiara
reaching with all my might.