uprooting

the last of the poison ivy —

we think ahead to fall

tree swallows —

swooping back in wide circles

just because they can

drifting downriver

my hand dangling overboard —

summer lets down her hair

knowing from the song

just who’s come to call —

red-winged blackbird

forged in fire —

the familiar feeling

of fighting back hope

statues coming down

as fireworks explode —

sparks in search of fuel

aspen leaves

toying with the wind —

my fingers in her hair

grandmothers and toddlers

walking in sun-warmed water —

the bay at low tide

busy robins

announcing themselves

to a purple sky