Winter walking down High Street, snowflakes floating gently, Thinking about nothing in particular, everything in general. Suddenly they appear from between two buildings, scare me silly. They stop with a start, for they, too, are taken by surprise. We stand, face to face, the momentary tension of uncertainty. Then we relax, for they have seen me before on this trail, And I have seen them, more than once, and never in fear. They see, they sniff, they know that I am not a threat. For the moment we silently share our good fortune of being alive. A low-key celebration of life, and of neighbors who visit as we're doing. They resume their slow journey, for they have places to go And I continue on my way, feeling better about everything. (FZ Davis)