Precession

Lunch in October
It's unseasonably warm --
No coats or sweaters

"I haven't seen you in months.
Tell me what you've been doing."

It is a long list:
Laundry, gas, bills, groceries
And etcetera

The July winter full moon
Above the stop and go traffic

At the Pizza Shack
Taking orders from the phone
And the internet

At the end of the long shift
A smile for her new boyfriend

It's reassuring --
Bees and apple blossoms,
Like the year before

Millions at Kumbha Mela --
Over a span of twelve years

Do the stars observe
The galactic precession?
Do they celebrate?

They decide on one more dance
For one more memory

Even late at night
The heat of the day lingers
And melts the ice cubes

She lights candles and incense
And prays silently for peace