At first, I hear assorted birds, and then
A squirrel's claws upon the bark of some
Near tree, and that is all. The summer
Sun is low and cool. It's just past seven.
Then, the neighbor's handyman arrives
And sets off in a tractor. Some lame
Woman, dressed for tennis, walks her
Dog across the street while wholly
Caught up by her phone. Swarms
Of cars begin to pass. The day is
Underway in earnest. I can't hear
The birds.