Dear Reader: I apologize for the delay in Part 2 of “The Boss Retires” while I was working through issues with my cellular service on the road. Please forgive me for asking one more week’s indulgence while I tweak the piece a bit more. Barring any further phone problems, I should have it for you next week.
—Maik
My friend Jenny Kalahar posted a picture she took while walking around:
The New Neighbors
She is a bit chatty,
bragging about their find,
the bright red shingles,
room for all the children,
the young on their way and
“OMG! Have you seen our yard?”
He acts like we have stayed too long,
first half-heartedly greeting us
at the end of the property,
then flitting around to watch,
barking little statements to
get our attention
when he felt we were prying too much,
especially when he hurriedly declared
it was time for us to go.
Usually, that would be the end of the story, but Jenny offered up another photo, from the same neighborhood:
Two Rooms and a Birdbath,
Needs a Little TLC
It’s a fixer upper,
one they will surely flip
once they redo the flooring,
add a nursery.
He seems to have a lot of energy,
bringing in building supplies
along with the luggage,
running circles around her and
the belly near full—
the rest of the family
will soon be joining,
perhaps in time to help
clean up the wading pool
from last year’s leaves and stems
so soon the entire neighborhood
can come by for a visit,
maybe stay a while to splash.
_______________
Thank you, Jenny Kalahar, for permission to use your photos!
| Copyright © 2022 by Maik Strosahl Michael E. Strosahl has focused on poetry for over twenty years, during which time he served a term as President of the Poetry Society of Indiana. He relocated to Jefferson City, Missouri, in 2018 and currently co-hosts a writers group there. |
Maik, a sad thing about seeing Jenny’s photos is this: they remind me that our dear colleague Vic Midyett has passed from us. Several of his and Shirley’s “Two Is Enough” columns featured birdhouses.
ReplyDeleteI love how you have humanized the birds with mundane terms. "She's" chatty, "he's" annoyed, "he" brings in "building supplies" and "luggage", like new neighbors will of course. We have a great many birds here but none that have really made friends. I've seen clips of wild birds that are like pets to a few lucky people. There was a great white egret at our dock that would take shrimp from your hand. We have a pair of cardinals that come around; we live outside and they're getting used to us. I know the blue jays call each other when I go out to the flat feeders in the morning, and they mob them.
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