Please, Do Not Feed the Feelings

Once

I was vacationing

At least I think I was

It could have been a day-trip

To a day dream

I can't remember

But I visited a tiny park

With pretty pale wood benches

Mown grass and narrow walks

Trim hedges, friendly green

And a little pond with a bridge.

I wandered to the pond's lapped rim

Toes stopped at rushes' edge

And swooped my gaze across ripples

And then, to toes again.

Then I saw it, from corner of my eye

A chipped paint peeling sign. 

It contrasted so blatantly 

With the pretty, proper park

And I wondered

Why I had not noticed it 

After all, its looks stood out

So I glanced at the families

Wandering about

Nice families 

With small children

And elderly couples, murmuring sweet nothings

But none of them were reading the sign.

I withdrew slowly from pond's edge

And stepped soft through lush carpet

Of mown yet marshy grass

Until I stopped, until I stood

Full view upon that sign. 

"Public Service Announcement:" it read

Letters blue against the white

Peeled painted sign

But there was more, yes more indeed

underneath, in smaller font

But quite legible design

"Please, do not feed the feelings." 

I looked around at the families

With small children 

And the elderly couples, too

Still oblivious, they were

Perhaps they had seen the sign

Many times before, and were bored of it

I considered asking 

One or two 

Of the young parents 

What it meant

The peculiar, odd-ish sign

But if I did, I don't remember.

I don't even remember leaving the park

Or when or how or why

I came to be back home

Sitting at my window seat

Sipping tea

And thinking about that sign.