A Gentle Wildness

Ernest, half naked,
Jogger passes my window;
And then, out of sight.

 

A hoarse instant cry;
Is it animal or bird?
Mourning dove replies.


 

Roadside patch of light
Illustrating the darkness
Foil to the shadows.

 

 Near the hectic weeds
Where her laundry hangs and blows--
A gentle wildness.

Three wrapped newspapers
Lie unread in the driveway,
Announcing absence.

Clouds play with the sun
And shadows toy with the road
In complete silence.

A burst of coarse speed
Breaks into the slow morning:
Two cars racing past.

Clustered together
A tiny mushroom family
As big as begun.