Twlight in a small town, the boys prowling the street,
driving around helpless and full of longing.

Two children burst from the shadows
and run into a doorway,
quivering like moths,
their torches arched with joy,
as they shout, “S’prised you!”

Grandmother steps onto the porch
and calls in a level voice, “Home now.”Joan E. Cashin has published in many literary magazines, including Allegro, Ars Medica, Eclipse, Intuitions, and Poetry Superhighway.