Weekly photo challenge: Today

Come here

I listen to birds call outside,

a few cars gun their motors on the trail.

Inside, the muse is silent.

I have not walked enough, not paused enough,

not held my tongue.

For too many hours of the day, I have pushed words onto paper,

forced them to step up to the plate,

toe the line, shape up.

Instead of letting them circle round,

sit still, lift off, rise.

I stand in the shadows, watch a curtain lift and let go.

A child calls to a friend across the street,

“Come here! Now. I need you!”