Spraying chalk onto my grandad’s driveway

spelling out H A P P Y  B I R T H D A Y

tissue on my finger

ringing the bell

ding dong ditching

He limps out with his ragged paint clothes on

huge rips and white splatters

on his brown overalls

we leap out

from behind a hydrangea

he jumps for joy

We lay the two cards and the present

down on the driveway

we step away like they are a ticking time bomb

he hunches down and picks them up

He reads my card and laughs at my jokes

a wave of pride washes over me

He rips open the blue wrapping paper

like a kid on Christmas day

His smile is contagious

happy he can spend the day with us

social distancing