for D. A.
Rural folk seldom have neighbors pop by.
I’m lucky one lives next to me.
A great Dane lives with her
A cat with me—
We stay a crow’s call apart, safe inside.
She tends the chickens daily at five.
I feed the calico at that time.
I greet her tossing feed
“Hey, how are yah?”
“Ok, and you?”
“I’m good, you know, same ol’, same ol”
“Yeah with a twist of lemon between”.
“I didn’t know you were mixing cocktails!”
That’s all we say, we know what we mean–.
Spring appears, elders in Japan are sad
Wondering which of them may die
“Another year of suffering”
They sigh—
I used to think them odd, not now
Thousands ill or taken by an unseen visitor
I understand them fine.
What changed?
Awareness of what doesn’t.
Infected by mortality, we’re dying all the time.
All Photos by Rayn Roberts.
