cycles

i was sitting on a park bench, reading the extraordinary THIS SIDE OF BRIGHTNESS by Colum McCann.  it was an idyllic afternoon.  the children were running and biking, respectively, around the very large park and i was left with my book.  the eastern sky was threatening to storm, but it was still warm and breezy in the park.  an older male jogger was circling the park, making his route in the gutter, several feet behind me.  as he passed the first time i couldn't believe what i heard:  a loud and--dare i say--agressive, fart.  it startled me.  i turned and look at him as he kept on jogging.  surely he didn't know what he'd done.  i mean, couldn't he hear how loud and iconic it was?  he wasn't wearing headphones.  as he circled again, another one.  then another.  when the children finished their ramblings, i collected our things and as we were leaving i told them about the jogger.  perfect humor for my children.  and then, as if on cue, the farting jogger circles us again.  sure enough, he let one rip.  we couldn't help ourselves.  we laughed at his public display of flatulence.  maybe that's what he was after.

image found here