Autumn Afternoon

A cheeky breeze

sneaks through the door.

Immediately, something in me lifts --

the joy that always comes

through decades of autumn breezes

in all the homes of my life.

The Day Steams Up

The day steams up

already, so early 

in the overcast morning.

The threat of rain

in this heat

brings stinging insects.

I like to meditate outdoors

but not always.

The Stillness is Inhabited

The stillness

before a hot day

is inhabited by doves,

white-breasted,

cooing intermittently

with long, low notes
from my neighbour's thick trees.

Listening to the Birds

Late afternoon. The heat has eased. I sit in my back garden, listening to the birds try out all their different cries.

The Good Rain

fills the darkness outside my door

with its sudden whoosh

and then a long whisper,

a muted roar.

I know it blesses the earth.

I feel safe in my home now —

now that the friendly rain

comes down, comes down, comes down.