A cardinal alights on a high branch of the Peach tree. Its weight bends the branch toward the thick ground cover. Robins, sparrows and jays mark their territory in the Maple canopy. Frankie and I eat breakfast on the deck, listening to iTunes alternative radio that plays through our Motorola speaker. Sunlight bathes the backyard through a break in the clouds.

Summer morning

a robin lands on the root

of the Apple tree

Echoes of memory dissipate like clouds after a storm. No tension-laced monologues predicting imminent doom. No throat-clutching dread of facing fire-or-ice teachers. No mountains of compliance work, or conniving “help,” or the emptiness of an empty room 210. Just the ease of melting into the chaise and letting the morning breeze blow over me like a tide. Just this, the first day of my summer vacation.

effortless breathing

a blue jay chasing sparrows

above the yard

photo by Joe Cox

First published in Image Curve on July 5, 2018