Parking in Dawning’s Peace and Quiet

Sitting in Walmart

Parking lot

Rising Sun alerts

Crows clean up

Overnight mess.

One Staffer here

Dropped off early

Curbside chain smoking

We have said nothing

To this point

Sharing cool and quiet

An odd brotherhood

Noiseless

Motionless.



Couple of cars

Empty, locked

Telling the story

Of Saturday night’s

Alcohol, perhaps.

Or rather the

Store Janitor

Or Floor Polisher

Or dry grocery

Night Crew setting up

Aisle by aisle.



This is Life

And Labour

And Leisure

And Loneliness

And likely Errands.

Starting in this Lot.

Robins serenading

My harmonica pulled out

Bird senses a competition.

Distant traffic sounds

Muflled until inconsequential.



One Mourning Dove

Beneath an asphalt island tree

Refusing to relinquish

The DawningI

And the Glow.

I get it, and

wish for the same.