I heard a sneeze as I walked by,

A violent rejection of something from the lungs.

"Bless you!" I exclaimed through the privacy fence,

Without seeing the sneezer or the sneezer seeing me.

A chuckle and thanks were offered.

I kept walking.

I wondered if the sneezer might sneeze again.

This time I'd be gone.

Would some other walker-by

Bless the sneezer as had I?

Would the sneezer wonder why I 

Didn't do what I had done before?

For maybe the picture he had in mind

Was of me standing behind the fence

Patiently waiting forever for him to sneeze?

-jenn