I heard sirens from across the reservoir – the kind of sirens that sound like a bomb’s gone off, or that there has been an air raid – the kind some towns set off at noon everyday to test, but it was 2:55 PM, so it wasn’t a test.

What if this was it? What if this was the end, the bombs were finally coming?

The leaves rained down. On the path, the leaves crunched beneath my tires. If this was the end, I wondered if my lover would try to get to me. I imagined not having the chance to say “good-bye” to anyone.

I pedaled up an incline that seemed steeper on the way down.

I thought about Ukraine.

Soon it became quiet and I forgot my thoughts.

November 3, 2022
Woodstock, New York