heart melts

Woke up late again, too tired from the night before,
Uneasy sleep filled with dreams of deadlines,
Tethers and warrants, responsibilities falling through,
Hopped on the bike and pedaled hard,
Down to the corner to wait for the bus,
Throw it up on the rack and have a seat,
Another short ride at the other end,
Through the downtown “no wheel zone,”
Across the highway bridge and downhill,
Zooming past the pawn shops and diner,
Across the railroad tracks and onto the grass,
Wheeling it in right at 07:00,
Walking in as third shift walks out,
Dirt and water on my brand new tires,
Barely out of breath, getting my legs,
Looking forward to the long ride home,
Even before the stress of work has begun,
Barreling down the river walk,
Avoiding walkers and joggers,
Past the utility yard, past the zoo,
River to one side, trees on the other,
Onward to the university, empty during summer,
Alternating between the road and bike trails,
Following the river all the way back to Hagadorn,
Six miles or so from work, an hour by bus,
Cut that time in half on my bike,
Trusty metal steed, flying by the Red Cedar River,
I imagine the Ojibwe once sliced through these waters,
In their birchbark canoes, portaging when needed,
But now they’re long gone, moved to GR,
Left the place to lawmakers and students,
The Red Cedar runs into the Grand River then travels to the lake,
Meandering slowly through the west side of the state,
Emptying into Lake Michigan, a two hour drive to the west,
The Ojibwe followed, merged with groups along the way,
GR, Manistee, Gun Lake, various groups and bands,
I make my way to the road named after the Grand,
Follow it eastward to my neighborhood,
Student rentals dot the outer fringes,
Then give way to family homes,
Cape cods, ranches and quad-levels,
Post-war houses built for university employees,
Not as fancy as ones to the north or west,
The ones built by doctors, lawyers and profs,
Big yards filled with flowers and gardens,
I glide into my driveway and come to a stop,
Shirt drenched with sweat, standing under the huge maple,
The entire backyard is blanketed in shade,
Feels a few degrees cooler than on the street,
Time stands still, birds singing in the trees,
Cicadas humming a few streets over,
Weightless for a moment, unfettered and free,
E climbs through the broken window screen,
“Hey daddy, wassup?”
Big smile across his face,
Dimples at the corner of his mouth,
Heart melts as he gives me a hug.