Ballad

Dawn appears slowly
Breaking through the morning clouds
Rays of golden light

A few brown leaves remaining
On the branches of the oaks

Cars are briefly parked
In the strip-mall parking lot
With three stores for rent

Two teenagers in first love
Walking slowly home from school

A blast of cold wind
Someone closes a window
Some dogs are barking

The full moon high in the sky
A helicopter hovers

"What is that about?"
She glances out the window
And asks her husband

Neighbors peer over the fence
At the blooming cherry tree

Impermanent things,
Like mountains and galaxies
Speaking to our heart

From years ago a ballad
Sung today for her children

In the noontime heat
Under the shade of a tree
At the edge of town

He takes a well-deserved nap
The first one in a long time