One Minute
written by: Heidi Baker
@heidib19
Downtown tower bells ring a five o’clock
going-home song of varied tones, for all
the wearers of neckties and dress shirts,
black flats and sensible skirts.
Office workers are finally free.
A dog reaches his high-pitched bark
all the way to my café table
on the next block.
His call for attention is underlined
by the grey tones of rolling tires.
Everyone has a destination.
Three feet away a gathering of small talk
lifts and fades, rises again, then ends
with chimes of laughter
a smiling silence
a ripple of half waves.
I write their story in the late afternoon.
Heidi Baker is a second-generation poet and story teller whose writing reflects inner landscapes shaped by journeys of miles and other measures: from Illinois to Arizona, work to home, childhood to adulthood to parenthood. Gentle, imaginative, full of honesty and wonder, her clear writing captures the sacredness of everyday moments. In addition to her growing body of published works, Heidi creates space for other writers, youth and adult, through facilitation of workshops and groups.
Latest posts by Heidi Baker (see all)
- Remind Me - March 28, 2020
- What You Cannot See - August 9, 2019
- Beauty Is Not In The Mirror - September 2, 2018
