After the rain
while the summer air
still hangs heavy,
some little birds break through its shroud
with happy chattering

A slight aliveness of breeze
brings the scent of
just a little rain —
wet dust, the smell
at the mouth of garden hoses

The day is still pregnant
and the great unknown
of how the birth will actually occur
stretches its vast belly
over everything.

©Wendy Mulhern
August 12, 2014