1
Sparrows chirp
and pluck at scraps
of empty gutters.
2
An old man leans
on a rake
and contemplates
his dead spring lawn.
3
Two lovers pass by
their care-less laughter
rising from the lane
as they disappear
from view.
4
Oblivious are they all
to the cunning cat
that stalks its prey,
the shadow lurking
by an old man’s garage,
and the slow, steady ticking
of two lovers’ watches.