This Afternoon in a Suburban Garden

A poem.


This Afternoon in a Suburban Garden

Pale-peach dress swings drying in the wind.

Invisible birds chirp aggressively from the branches above.

Fingers reflect in the tablet’s screen on which I type.

Stone ring shines sometimes black, sometimes blue.

Traffics flows by in all eight directions.

Red flag, with it’s five stars, flies above the gate.

Rumble of construction equipment starts up.

Dogs are barking, others yelping, ours sleeping.

Shadow of a palm shakes against the neighbors wall.

Saw cuts through the neighborhood.

Shanghainese chatter.

Rustling leaves.

China Eastern flight passes closely overhead.

Chased by a high-speed train.

Dog awakes and licks at the puddle under the drying dress.

Tapping on the keyboard

Stops.


Be well,

Monty

4 Comments

  1. Kathleen says:

    A lovely word painting

    Like

    1. Monty Vern says:

      Thank you 🙏

      Like

  2. Thanks for taking us on a tour of your backyard.
    “chirp aggressively” I usually read about the beautiful songs they sing so this was jarring to me. However, I am SO aware of the aggressive chirping. Like why?!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Monty Vern says:

      Haha. I guess to hear themselves over the saw, the traffic, the airplane, the train…

      Liked by 1 person

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