the shortest distance between two points just may not be a straight line

for my daughter Dimitra.

a very young Indian
(or is she Mexican
or Surinamese ?)
girl
not even ten years old yet
riding her bicycle in a New York cul de sac 
on a hot July day
her face a manifesto of innocence
a cardinal, red and proud
comes and lands on the typewriter
I just threw out
convinced this writer's block would never end.
his dance is a wonder to her
the stray cat with no tail stares at the bird behind the torn fence
still like a sniper
waiting for the moment to burst forth.
I throw a baseball at the fence
the feline loses the element of surprise
the bird continues performing the tap dance
from G to M
the girl smiles at me with the absolute precision
creatures her age do.
my next sip of mocha iced coffee is not indifferent
not aloof from passion 
but full of flavor and new found honesty
unable to turn back I pick up a pencil.
her younger sister appears from the back yard
with an even smaller bike.

Giorgos Trikeri

The cardinal is a passerine bird found in North and South America. He is also known as cardinal-grosbeak and cardinal-bunting.