My Shrinking Life - March 3, 2026

the dogs and I walk square streets -

four rights and we’re back home

a trip to the grocery store

is like a business trip,

the doctor’s office, a reluctant outing

eating out, an oh boy! adventure

my universe ends at the town’s border

friends live nearby or internet close

my web of connections,

now the net that holds me

from a large, colorful painting,

my life has withered to a black dot

not black widow but garden spider

no longer hungry for food

but little joys wrapped in silk

pulled close to conceal

my solitude