zinnia water park

the park up on 29th street has more kids than adults
and for some reason
this frightens
me.

near the center of the park
there's a miniature water park.

all day,
"MOMMY! I WANT TO GET WET!" some little girl in her
yellow polka dot swimming suit says.

in a few ten years, she
wouldn't even ask for
permission.

it's wrong to think this way but as i sit in that water park
and watch those kids climb and
become miniature versions of other
people
i accept humanity for the whores and douche bags that it has
under its dirty sleeves, sewer infested pools, poor end jobs that pay nothing.

"DADDY! I LOVE YOU!" that same little girl says as
she jumps in his arms and gets
him all wet.

and as i leave this park
putting my car in reverse,
drive, i think of
that little girl in her father's arms again
and again and
again.

each time
her hair turning darker and
eyes more like the woman her
mother
is.