jdubqca

distractions in my peripheral

I see something scurry by on the rug
not too far from my bare feet
a spider or centipede or such
but when I look up & lower my
reading glasses
there is nothing there

I go back to the chromebook screen
tapping on the keyboard with
great abandonment
and it happens again
a little shadow in my peripheral
racing across the floor
I pause & remove my readers
but there is nothing there
save colorful shapes
in the paisley patterned rug

I return to my poem in progress
which has now become
a complete distraction
spiders & centipedes & imaginary dragonflies
taking over the center of my attention





june two thousand twenty-two
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved