LADY IN THE PARK

 We arrived in Des Moines early…which is always a delight

It gives us a chance to explore the area..to taste the food…to see the sights.

After a lunch of pasta smothered in a pesto sauce that really couldn’t be topped…

we chose a nearby sculpture garden as our second place to stop.

The sculptures were amazing…but what really left its mark

was a lady whom we noticed before entering the park.

We saw her at a distance…yelling from the shade of a small tree…

yelling…hands waving…pointing…at somethings only she could see.

We felt sorry and a little frightened at the behaviors she displayed…

and made the quick decision…to walk the other way.

As we walked around enjoying the variety of sculptures…that lady we left behind…

but, because we occasionally heard her yelling,, she never left our minds.

As we neared the final sculpture…we were well aware…

the lady, still yelling and waving and pointing, was still standing there…

It was an uncomfortable situation…the kind you muddle through

not knowing what to say…not knowing what to do.

We chose to ignore her her yelling…and trying not to stare

went to view the sculpture…as if she wasn’t there.

It was a sculpture of a figure made of letters…and how wonderfully they fit…

as Deborah walked inside, from behind me I heard…”Beautiful isn’t it?”

“It certainly is.” I answered…then turning…she caught my eye.

It was the lady, who, only a moment ago,..was yelling at the sky.

I gave her a smile…and a beautiful smile she returned to me…

then she went back to yelling and waving and pointing at something I couldn’t see.

And I thought when I first saw her…this was a lady in craziness ensheathed. 

but in one amazing moment…I saw her purity beneath…

Sculptures are complex…they’re complicated…they can be confusing…light…or dark

they can be interpreted in so many different ways…much like a lady in the park.