Porch Pirates

It was a sunny bluebird sky day.

Dogs on leashes led their owners on sidewalks.

Weekend mechanics tinkered with cars in open garages.

Neighbors, with rakes and trowels, spruced up their front yards.

Robins, with heads tilted to the side, hunted worms in greening grass.

My Ring Doorbell displayed a bright pink car.

She backed into my driveway,

Vaulted out of the car,

And sprinted to my porch.

Eyes open wide in black framed glasses,

Lizard green tank top, arms printed with purple tattoos.

She gripped a blue and white flannel shirt

Over long dark hair.

Black leggings.

She snatched the boxes from the porch,

Raced and whooped “Woo hoo!” as she sprang

Into the blazing pink car with expired tags

Marked through with black.

The car zoomed down the steep drive.

Uh oh!

It jolted and crunched over the curb.

Was the muffler gone? Suspension damaged? Driveshaft mangled?

The Ring Doorbell video captured it all.

They made their getaway in the gleaming pink car,

Yes, it was bubblegum pink—glow in the dark pink

Like in a Sunday morning cartoon.

Officer Erickson smiled,

“That bubblegum car will be easy to find!”

He was resolute. His search, wide-ranging,

To no avail.

Hope those porch pirates enjoy their dark chocolate syrup and sorghum!