The first ripe plum
from our tree —
juicy, sweet, tangy, sour,
the birds that flit from fir to cedar
as they darken (birds and trees)
while the sky is still full of light,
summer laughter of children
in the next block,
the scent of buddleia in the evening air

These, and the slow progress
through the tasks,
the tasks of learning,
the tasks of growth.

©Wendy Mulhern
July 21, 2017