Concerto

Sun peeks through the shades, too cheerful.

Birds already at their places -

Breakfast and a bath.

Laundry on the line waves a greeting to the daylilies

and the daisies.

Whump-whump-whump. Ceiling fans keep time with the

swisshhh-chuk-chuk-chuk-chuk of the sprinkler.

Children squeal as they run through the spray,

mindless of the heat

while dogs, laughing silently, lay in the shade and

ignore squirrels in branches above.

A symphony of 4-wheelers and lawnmowers is

punctuated by the crack of a bat -

The long fly ball crashes through a window.

Blaring radios blend with laughter

escaping from passing cars.

In the distance, thunder threatens;

I search the sky for signs of rain.

New mown grass, honeysuckle, and charcoal

combine into an odd perfume.

Odors of OFF! and citronella are added for good measure

as mosquitoes move in.

The only bugs that are welcome are Fireflies

that signal across the lawn as shadows lengthen.

In the dark, dove and quail serenade me.

Dogs answer coyotes in the distance.

Rain arrives, unnoticed,

as I dream of summer days to come.

                                                                                      from Having Fun, 2006