Everleigh

  The fox was gone,

  The broody one was gone,

  I hadn’t seen the sister yet.

  Would she be strong?

  Would she be smart?

  Would she be…

  The normal one stayed behind.

  A sight,

  a smile,

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  a soft place to land.

  The Commander made his rounds,

  house by house,

  hours upon hours, he introduced himself to them all.

  The next one who opened the door was crying.

  He touched her shoulder, and they sat on the porch.

  Minutes upon minutes they talked,

  A missing husband.

  A weight, a worry.

  The Commander leaned forward and so did she.

  Words of comfort, words of kindness,

  a vow to find him at all costs.

  He missed his family,

  I missed my father.

  House by house, he earned their trust:

  No mask,

  just a man:

  confident and competent.

  The normal one would protect the fox and his friends,

  Less for me to do.