spicy

it's too hot
to be working in the yard
it's too hot
to be out for a run
it's too hot
to be shingling a roof
it's too hot
to be high stepping it on the main avenue
it's too hot
to sit at a lemonade stand
it's too hot
to be a kitten in a kitten suit
the end of july
and today
it's too hot

pane

reflections in flight
what seemed a vista
glass reflected
a sad end for a visitor
to the patio this morning
rest in feathers
little winged one

bright bright

a late afternoon sun shower
and a tiny yellow finch
on a branch of the mountain ash
feathers in the weather

and...

as long as there are birds...

notes

and then the day comes to try out the new machine
and it should be a welcoming day
ready to get on with things
move along
put pieces back into place
but you realize that you're anxious
after all the hubbub
what if somehow it doesn't work?
things go sideways
then what?
what?
and one of you is braver than the other
and heroically pushes the boat out
here we go!
and after much hemming and hawing
it seems to work
and a nice surprise is that the new machine
sends out a signal when it has finished
a little electronic serenade
and you wonder whose job it was
to compose that little melody
who are they?
where are they now?
from your house to theirs and back again
wishing well for everyone

and then one day

and then one day you do a load of laundry
and there is a lot of water on the basement floor
so you mop it up
move stuff around
and get on with it
and then one day stuff backs up
from the drain in the basement
icky yucky muck
and you mop it up and get on with it
and then one day more comes up again
again and again
and you have a plumber out to help
to stop the icky yucky muck
from coming back again
and it works for awhile
until one day
when it all comes back up again in the basement
and you have another plumber guy out
and he does his thing
fingers crossed that this time it works
and the icky yucky muck won't be back anytime soon
and then on the same day there is what was forecast as
'torrential rain' comes pouring down
and spots on the roof leak
and then on that day you think
'yeah, i guess today is a day like any other day
in this summer we're having
in this year
of all kinds of things'
and you take a bit of comfort reminding yourself
that tomorrow is another day

chiaroscuro

ebbing and flowing light today
bright and shady
and back again

presto

and then the dragonflies return
and you remember the magic
of small things

in the moment

the possibility of thunderstorms later today
but for now
there are butterflies in sunshine