by Bill Derry
cinder-lilac loading unloading
watercolor sky methodical movement
gibbous moon shoveling, raking
streaking clouds bent, focused
free of time
arthritic unfolding the physicality
from the truck of the task
up the short hill simultaneously
behind the shed absorbs
an enormous — and frees —
barred owl explodes absorbs
from a hemlock — and frees —
then peeling an inquisitive wasp
back the tarp and soaking shirt
covering hand tools mark noontime
revealing drunken lunch on an
palm-sized crane flies overturned bucket
dizzily hovering hordes of ants
harmless witnesses
in this hour now the clouds
of cool freshness stately march
and the
placing shovels humidity rises
rakes and return to the rhythm
other companions loading unloading
of the day methodical movement
in the wheelbarrow shoveling, raking
organizing free of time
today’s task
a soft
finding rhythm unexpected breeze
in the the sun’s
morning’s labor lowered slant
loading unloading
the wheelbarrow an alarmed jay’s
marks progress raucous call
while returning
shadows retreat implements
hawks circle ambling slowly
heat intensifies to the truck
the utter stillness
of mid-morning the seamless evolution
each resplendent
moment birthing
the next