I step into the needle driven rain
the warm breeze sends the needles
cascading down like rain
clouds dilute the sun’s penetrating lare
the crow screams out its mundane babble
talking to no one in particular
the squirrel gamely toys with the Dopt (dog)
who stands frozen a scant puppy lunge away
lowering to the grass and up again
again and then again
they stare eye to eye, and steady
longingly lullingly
Dopt no longer fully still, she blinks
dragon fly, her ear flicks, head tilts
the squirrel plunges to her left
through the tall grass
the next vertical route
upwardly embarked
just out of reach
the Dopt starts so belatedly
I laugh outloud
the squirrel begins her lulling practice
again
the Dopt bores, wanders off
the elevated canopy sings
I hover here in a hint of shade
trying to loosen the flow
by scratching pen to pad
thumbing my phone
into an odd physical presence
the cicadia hum, the sweat trickles
pleasantness
the stream fluidly moves
with the consistence of rituals regularity
I step in