The thrasher’s tweedle-eet
startles me awake.
The apple tree
does not care if I acquire knowledge.
I read each incandescent leaf
of a poetry book
while eating potent cereal
without the fear of added sugars.
There are no curtains to pull aside.
Sunrise invites itself in.
Why do train conductors
not spark and shock people as they take tickets?
Such questions afflict me
in the time between stars and blue sky.
I never call my dog a bad name
because she never calls me a bad name.
When I place my bowl in the sink
my dog knows it’s time to go to the door.
copyright © 2021 Kenneth P. Gurney
Umflop 