empty bench at the bus stop
wind swirling trees
swallowtails zigzag
a solitary walk, bug spray
swollen blare of distant lawnmowers
sweat forms between breasts
pines lean, creak over sunlit lawns
squirrels dart across an empty road
creek’s glimmer through tree trunks
washing machine rumbles
on fingers, scent of onion lingers
blood drips from a cut on the thumb
front porch: a nest in the lamppost
nervous finch flits back and forth
watches with suspicion
5:07 pm, check the mailbox
for the third time, paperless
ladybugs huddled in crevices
postal truck hovers at each driveway
expected wave of a neighbor
stout and graying, a woman bends to plant bulbs
slam of a door
backpack thrown in a corner
goldfish cracker crumbs spill from pockets
waiting for the red light
rain whimpers on the windshield
rubber wipers moan in 6/8 time
mold gathers under shampoo bottles
bathtub’s enamel cracked, water drains
toothpaste smears in the sink
before sunrise, coffee with cream
dim blue light through the kitchen window
a red fox slinks across the yard
living room: a piano sits vacant
music scores piled, dust gathers
silence in sunlight
clothes lumped on the bedroom chair
late afternoon sun pours through a window
frozen faces peer through picture frames
evening, husband on the couch
buzz of television, brandy glass
toes protrude through a crocheted blanket
kitchen counter strewn with papers
half-read books piled haphazardly, dog-eared
in the margins, fragments of scribbled poems
Comments