Mount Vernon

I.
On this hot, humid day.
We sat a few minutes in the shade
Of the back veranda at Mount Vernon
And enjoyed the breeze wafting up
From the Potomac.

And I felt an entire vacation telescope
In that brief time of beauty and refreshment,
Restored in body, heart, and mind.

II.
Weeks now, Isaiah has been wishing for hamburgers.
After three sweaty hours, we sat in the food court
Enjoying bun-less burgers and fries.

In Abraham’s analogy,
Like wanderers in a desert that come across gold,

We felt far more gladness in that patty and potatoes
Than if we had not survived the fatigue before.