—

it could have been my perspective. seeing only the sadness, the washed out families with their overweight kids, pushed along the sidewalks with the momentum of their next meals leading them in one direction or another. the clock ticking away as their time away from work came closer to an end. a vacation of desperation axed out of their mundane lives and costing them too much money on their already stressed out credit cards. back to sleep in a small cement box where the bathroom in the lobby offers the only relief from a day of desperation and despair. 

—

practicality makes no presence as the kids waded into the water. sun-washed skin and faded smiles as they pushed off into the sun. was there ever anything else or was this enough. marriage, bills and even hunger vanished for the time being as the moment of hear and now convinced them all that this was the only thing that mattered. 

—

legs stretched out, in circles they went. stretching themselves and caring for their pets, a moment away from the home and their children allowed the smiles to return. it had been a hard few days and the future seemed no brighter. the threat they could lose it all was almost an attractive offer considering their deep resentment towards all of it.