Dragonfly

Years ago,
I watched you on a bench
in a park in a country far away from home,
as the animal kingdom took a liking
to the sandwich crumbs in your hand.

A squirrel schemed in the shade of an oak tree,
a crow circled, plotting the perfect dive,
and a red dragonfly tiptoed gently down your arm.

I remember, most of all, the calmness of that moment
and the dragonfly’s quiet determination
to win against foes much bigger.

Perhaps this is what gave me the idea
that those who love the most
are those who find the love they most deserve.

Of course, this was before our hearts were broken
by each other first, then by others.
I haven’t seen a dragonfly since.