Sunset Sky

Cobwebs in the sun
A warm day has just begun
In the small garden

A cat sleeps under a bench
That sits near the wooden gate

He pauses and waits
(It is usually on time)
For the bus to work

The driver's calm, yet alert
Threading through heavy traffic

"Please be specific,"
Says the cabbie to her ride,
Turns away and sighs

Clouds overhead stream and glide
Casting shadows on the ground

Rolling through the town
The sound of the old church bell
On Sunday morning

You've had plenty of warning
That this would happen to you

When one's days are few
Feelings are hard to contain
Wind blows where it will

Summer ends with the first chill
One more blanket on the bed

"I think that instead
Of purchasing brand new clothes,
This year we'll make do."

Dawn, with many shades of blue,
Seen through many colored leaves

Falling to the street
Bits of litter from a truck
Falling on the frost

Teenagers, when they feel crossed,
Are prone to much violence

The inconvenience,
When some things happen slowly,
Leads to impatience

Long periods of silence
Calms the agitated mind

Finally she finds
A spot on an empty bench
Next to the fountain

All the models are so thin
Wearing clothes that are so bright

In the morning light
Waves upon the ocean sand
Like a lullaby

In two days he'll say goodbye
To all his friends at college

All that knowledge
In the books stacked on the desk
How will it be used?

She decides it's time to choose
Between career and mother

Among some other
Things she finds an old date book
From decades ago

Underneath some sweaters thrown
On a shelf in the closet

The old deposit
Slips from an account long gone
In a wooden box

The lawyer slowly unlocks
The secrets of the estate

At the iron gate
Ice upon the old brick path
Sparkles in the sun

A few children dash and run
Throwing snowballs in the air

The sun's intense glare
Off the solid stretch of white
Pinches the moment

The new block of apartments
Freshly painted yesterday

There's been a delay
In his plans for higher ed --
Not enough money

"Don't worry, honey,
It's not the end of the world.
We'll manage somehow."

Still, her wrinkled brow
Betrays a sense of worry
As the night deepens

The light of the waning moon
At three a.m., fills the bedroom

He awoke too soon,
Now the dream is incomplete --
Waiting for morning

The moon has already set
A darkness with vague shadows

The night light's soft glow
At the bottom of the stairs
She pauses and smiles

After dating for three months
They spent the night together

Warm April weather,
Fresh wind and sunlight mingle
Under the white clouds

In the city park the crowds
Gather for the holiday

Children's laughter, children's play,
Children's voices beck and call

Cherry blossoms fall
Cheerfully onto the grass
And the garden path

By the stone bird bath
The gardener trims the hedge
With great precision

It is a long tradition
To honor the equinox

In the gift-wrapped box
There's something for everyone --
Grandfather smiles

"I think it might take awhile,
I've only just retired."

The sunset sky is on fire
Clouds of red and orange and gold

Darkness deepens, night unfolds,
Starlight songs from long ago