The Baby

I push the baby carriage down the street
I turn my eyes away from the carriage,
for a minute to look in the store window,
I turn back
The baby is gone.

Baby,
vulnerable, warm, soft, trusting.
Gone.

I run, looking for a trace of her. Every second means she's
farther away.
Precious Time is used up as I ask to use
Phones in the shops along the way.

Valuable Time is passing.
I try 3 or 4 phones.
The phones are all dead or busy.

I go up a dark elevator with
clanging triple metal sliding doors.
I come into a room
dark, musty, cold, black windowless room

People are in black robes
huddle in a group
"I need help. The baby..."

I look again and stop and feel me,
alone, outside the group. No one can hear me or see me.
Their backs are to me.

Everything is moving me further from The Baby.

I forget about the Baby. 30 years pass.

One day  I sit and watch my breath, breathing in, breathing out,
A quiet, calm, vulnerable, soft, warm, trusting presence
Appears

The Baby is here with me now.
I find the Baby as I sit and breathe.
.