Early Morning At Riverside Park
Independence Day is over
A sweltering night has been gathered up and trucked away
The faint fragrance of burnt offering still hangs low
....like sweat, of a long, grey cloak.
The park still echos with faint "ooooh's" and "ahhhs"...
lingering in the sultry air,
and bouncing off the silent bandstand
If you try, you can almost hear the High School band,
playing tributes to Souza and the homeland flag
Where eyes glistened and reflected a night sky alive with fire
now, the only sounds are chattering squirrels,
as they scurry and nibble on remants of a celebratory feast,
hiding in the dewy grass
The morning air is cool and the ground is damp
Park benches, the bandstand, hilly mounds of grass and playgrounds
abandoned, save of their mourning clothes
Of candy wrappers, watermelon rinds, mustard coated paper plates
Spent sparklers, fire crackers, a lone sneaker...
Where just hours ago..music from radios, laughter, cheering, hooting, jeering
Deafening man-made thunder made babies cry
dogs tremble, children clap their hands over ears
Now so silent in this early somber morn
The only sound this morning
comes from a slight breeze that stirs....
a tossed Pepsi paper cup....
as it clatters a pop, pop, popping tune...as it hops
among the dried, brown leaves down a hot, empty sidewalk...
Copyright © Carrie Richards | Year Posted 2009
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