POETRY: Morning Walk

The chill in the air augurs autumn, its official arrival on the calendar three days hence. Sunlight glints off the morning dewdrops; thousands of rhinestones at the tips of green shag carpet. Chipmunks traverse McMansion retaining wall boulders on vast lawns as if settlers battling the Oregon Trail. Squirrels hued from gray to black abound, clinging to trees, dancing in front yards. Robins, jays, and cardinals stand out against the verdant suburbanscape. The soothing muffled noise of treetop leaves exposes the invisible wind. At a distance, an enemy of nature roars to life; a leaf blower, a gas mower, some evil power tool signals its booming presence, ruining the walk’s tranquility. Cue taken; time to head home and consider the workday.