the soothing music
 
of wind chimes beyond my fence
 
and a barking dog

 
 
 

A crack in the fence—
 
I can see the grass has died
 
in my neighbor’s yard.

 
 
 

A new month unfurls,
 
but no new morning glories
 
unfurl on my fence.

 
 
 

While painting the fence,
 
I hear some children laughing
 
on the other side.

 
 
 

On a sagging fence
 
a dove calls out a greeting
 
to the morning light.

 
 
 

Defying winter,
 
the sunflowers keep blooming
 
near my backyard fence.

 
 
 

Near the Baptist church
 
a thousand morning glories
 
glorify a fence.

 
 
 

July’s last morning—
 
sunflowers near the red fence
 
raise their golden heads.

 
 
 

Summer afternoon—
 
near the red fence white roses
 
drop petals like snow.

 
 
 

With morning glories
 
blooming on the backyard fence,
 
why shouldn’t I sing?