I served a summer meal once, under our backyard tree on a tolerable night in July imagine a restaurant with hard of hearing patrons, packed around tables, screaming at each other, what did he say? what did they say? what did you say? imagine that times a hundred

in my ancient days September triggered the door of free and happy to swing closed as it opened an intimidating one the return to school when friends and enemies would meet again, pick up where they left off check out who’s changed in what way and how much a time to re-examine relationships redirect interests, carve a new path for me, a new scary, searching for a safe place in the social array hoping that nerves would settle, that enough joy could be found altered leaf

hot morning walks like this yield few people, lots of silence even there, in the shade of my mind it’s uncomfortably warm the more I think about it, has anyone said Hi ? so I press my lips focus on my breath and drift along, a soundless dream in steam with its large hand on my back, the heat urges me on, pushes me to keep going not to stop leaves me no time to wonder why there’s not another soul out here