Park Your Car

I watched him back the convertible in,
Thinking it’d be way off the curb.
But with a last minute twist,
He managed to park perfectly.

Equidistant to cars fore and aft,
A mere inch from the sidewalk,
He had , I thought, managed a top score.
My coffee cup saluted his “10”.

He stepped to the kiosk.
From my seat,
Adjacent to the coffee machine
I offered my congratulations.

Surprised, but delighted by my assessment,
He blushed to be so honored
By someone assigned to measure
Such feats of driving elegance.

My face betrayed no information,
Since that might allow the fellow
To surmise I was merely humoring him.
My effusive thumbs up was to be taken seriously.

There had been any number of
Potentially catastrophic alternatives.
He couldive hit a car, ended 9 inches off the curb,
Or 3 inches onto the sidewalk.

It’s not everyday someone pitches a perfect game.
Rarely will an errorless dive from the high board
Cut the water with nary a splash,
I feel certain my approbation made his day.