A walk at noon

I like to walk at noontime.When it's very cold, I go through the Skyways. When it's a little warmer, I head toward downtown; the buildings shelter me from the wind. But on Thursday, it was finally a glorious day--sunny, warmish, bright and calm. So I headed for the Stone Arch Bridge over the Mississippi River.

I love walking with the dogs, but I also love walking alone--a swift and untrammeled walk without any delays or encumbrances. No dogs, no walking partners, no packages to carry--just me and the mild air and the world around me.

So I took note of the world around me as I walked:

Bright yellow deck chairs on a river-condo balcony
Bicyclists
Huffing joggers, many of whom work with me
Gulls sunning themselves on a piece of driftwood
Geese on a floating log
Two hawks of indeterminate species
The black-and-white swirl of the Mississippi River, as seen from above
A woman in "city shorts" and black spike-heeled shoes -- taking a walk. (My feet would be destroyed in those shoes.)
The new I-35 bridge, beginning to reach across the river in the same spot as the old one

As I walked, the words of e.e. cummings' poem kept bouncing around in my head.

I know it's hokey. I know it's hackneyed. I know it's so well-known and oft-recited as to be trite. But I couldn't help it; it was a mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful kind of day. On Thursday, his words were just right.

in Just-
spring when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame balloonman

whistles far and wee

and eddieandbill come
running from marbles and
piracies and it's
spring

when the world is puddle-wonderful

the queer
old balloonman whistles
far and wee
and bettyandisbel come dancing

from hop-scotch and jump-rope and

it's
spring
and
the

goat-footed

balloonMan whistles
far
and
wee

When I got home from work, the air was still mild, the puddles reflected the sky. And I leashed up the dogs, and I went for another walk.