I sit on a low bench
waiting for the first drops of rain,
enjoying the warm stillness
before the storm
Birds head for the trees,
but I am not worried:
I can see the house
between the cedars
A few steps are all it will take:
white on black
no maintenance
I listen for thunder,
but there is only the sudden rustle
of trees turning to autumn
Pause: I move indoors
and sleep
then wake
Stripes of grey and white and blue
cover the sky:
the temperature starts to fall