My Little Panic - June 29, 2026

I’ll admit a slight panic with yellow

lights and even greens, their precursor,

when I approach intersections

but it’s the red light that’s really

interesting, as I wait and . . .

what? . . . daydream, check out

drivers, license plates or ponder

where I’m going, what needs doing?

if I wait longer, I’ll tap an impatient

finger on the wheel, perhaps

mulling thoughts about my life,

regrets about wrong turns

pondering the ones not taken

at some point, the wait refocuses

on the damn light – why hasn’t it

changed?  no cross traffic, everyone

sits waiting, who’s programmed it?

Fire that jerk, hire me!

then it changes, I go, all is forgotten,

I join the moving train and watch

the greens, yellows and reds

of life as I pass under them

and embrace the small panic

of driving