A Peaceful Afternoon, Until…

… fireworks light up the sky.

by Bonnie Ann Lieberman

Photo by Arthur Chauvineau on Unsplash

Just the three of us at home today.

Michael, Farfel, and I.

I already feel a gentle steadiness filling my chest.

Which I hope will last

throughout the hours

Some music is playing,

soft classical and a bit of folksy.

I pull Farfel close and start to pet him.

But as usual, after a moment,

He jumps off the sofa.

I inch closer to Michael.

I tell him, “Farfie is not a snuggler."

“He’s content sitting on the rug,

looking up at us.”

Michael says and stands up.

He opens the door to the balcony.

Michael says, “What a wonderful mid-afternoon summer breeze,

carrying the fresh smell of the lilac bushes.”

I follow my man, and Farfel does too.

“Such a quiet afternoon. Is everyone away?

Gee, I can't imagine," I asked.

Michael wipes the sweat off his brow,

He returns inside

and pours us both a glass of iced coffee.

The afternoon wears on. We settle into a day of contentment.

But evening comes, bringing with it the formidable.

Suddenly, we all hear a boom, followed by another, even louder.

And then several more booms in a row.

Bright, flashing colors envelope the sky,

one flash, then another, and never-ending more!

Farfel scoots under the bed.

I exclaim, “Our doggie is frightened!”

Michael says, “Bonnie, remember — it's the Fourth of July!

People everywhere are celebrating with firecrackers,

all across the country. I have a remedy.”

He hands me a set of earphones.

We pick up Farfel, and all get under two heavy quilts.

No problem, even if it's 95 degrees outside,

we live in the modern era of central air conditioning.

Farfie whimpers from time to time, but stays with us.

It isn't a perfect night, but at least we have our little threesome time.

Happy Fourth of July!

Dr. Gabriella Korosi

✍ — Edited and Published by Garima Sharma at Dancing Elephants Press. Click here for submission guidelines.