Retreat

The pump

and snap of modern life

charges us up

with relentless dreams,

infinite distractions. We strike

poses projecting purpose.

Escape: Tranquil ennui

on spur of mountain range reaching

down to the sea.

Hummingbirds dance to hurdy-gurdy music.

Rattlesnakes buzz a slow warning from

hidden places.

All night

Orchestral crickets sing a sleigh-bell song.

At daybreak

Endless flies whirl by.

Grasshopper days of summer draw to a close.

House filled with laughter now still in the heavy heat.

The dirt pants in thirst.

Scent of warm earth baking rises up in greeting.

Retreat

Retreat to the land of sunsets

and flying saucers.

There’s nothing better, and yet

Every flight has its price.