by Susan Shea

At the newly living alone 
time of my life
empty nest departed husband 
free to do anything time

I decided to try sitting in a church 
with a lot of people

I was sure to sit on an end seat 
midway in the room with an 
open walking aisle
behind me
breathing room

the warm smile podium man
talked about needing 

I needed

he asked us to close our eyes
I did
he told us we would feel God’s
hand on us with us 

I felt a big, warm hand on my 
shoulder

I immediately opened my eyes
immediately looked behind me
there was no one there
I looked down behind me to 
see if someone was hiding
playing a trick
there was no one there

I caught my taken breath

Susan Shea is a poet, and a retired school psychologist who worked with middle school students who struggled with emotional, learning, and physical challenges. Although she grew up in New York City, Susan spent most of her life in a suburb of New York. She currently lives in a forest in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania with her husband, who is a semi-retired drug and alcohol counselor, and their cats.