Frank Learns to Juggle During Quarantine

I. His hands are pinball flippers. We’re going crazy in here. The juggling balls pop from his palm to the air, to palm, to palm. I assign them their symbols. One ball will be fear. The second will be love. The last, persistence. The persistence of love, the love of fear, the fear of persistence, the unknown, to be caught or to catch, so much up in the air, fear is in the air, Frank holds love, Frank holds persistence. II. I have dropped love, woken up and found it in bed beside me. The beautiful face he wears sleeping. I have gripped fear, I have lost persistence, saw it roll under the couch and let it go. The quarantine continues on despite me. I watch him juggle, I watch him cope. My love, tossing an easy ball caught neat in his palm. I loop the mask around my ears. III. The beautiful face he wears sleeping; outdoors, he winks, mask-mouthed, the fabric sucks in as he holds his breath, juggling for the little boy who stands so far away.