Anne Grant
I thought we had a date…
I waited, patiently I thought, for you to arrive
I woke up before the sun, eagerly anticipating your arrival
We wait for you on the patio…
Just so you know,
We are out under the awning
Just over there on the cozy couch
Thankfully, we are in the open air
No screen, no impediments will come between us
Bailey, our soft Russian Blue, nestles contentedly beside me
I take note…he does not seem, as I clearly am,
To be the least perturbed you are late…
His earliest morning appointments
Appear to have already been scheduled
Jeweled, darting hummingbirds, meandering Gamble’s quail
Cooing morning doves, and a copious chattering of songbirds
Have all arrived
I note
On time…
(He is a much better planner than I)
The continually shifting light
Not a surprise,
Yet so revelatory
Does not seem to faze him
I want to ask him if he’s as excited as I
At the moment to moment shifts in scent…
It is July in Tucson, welcomed monsoon season
Blue salvia, summer snapdragon, and crêpe myrtle
All in full flower
Explosions of purples and lavender
Lay their gifts lightly upon the gently moistened air
Offering themselves up
Compelling us to breathe more deeply…
To slow down….
Distracted as I am by the disappearance of Jupiter’s bright glow
And the subtly shifting cerulean sky
I take no notice of your arrival
I first become aware of the moon’s laughter
Turning away from her giggle and white glow
I see you, to my left, only for a few moments
But unmistakably, you are here!
I’d know you anywhere
Dawn continues putting on her morning show
Kissing lovingly each of her newborn lambs
Each blushing a rosy pink delightedly in turn
I know it is you
There in the baby blue sky
I would recognize you anywhere
You are my mother’s child
Dear poem I will write another day
For now, I am content
No longer impatient at your delay
Soothed as I am in witnessing with Bailey dawn’s first rays
Kissing the soft underbellies of the hummingbirds with yellow light
Alongside the arrival of the four newborn Gamble’s quail chicks
Fuzzy and impossibly tiny
Closely attended on their morning rounds
by their doting parents
You don’t even need to apologize…
Would you like a cup of tea sweet friend?