Shelter

A Renga: On this quiet night Under the moon's silver light People are dreaming As devas offer guidance In the silence of a glance A possum freezes In the headlights of a car That brakes just in time "It makes a big difference, All that new insulation." While folding laundry She makes plans for tomorrow And for the next week "I'm sorry you can't make it. That's OK. Another time." For him it's a song, Even afer all these years, The sound of her voice Mingling with a steady wind And the falling plum blossoms Starlings are in flight During the long, slow sunset Clouds of red and gold She begins her second job, The bills just keep coming in The weather report: At least five more days of heat, And no rain in sight In an abandoned building A runaway finds a home