Public Reflections

A fly lands on the roof. A crow perched on the lawn. Drops fall from the sky To darken all that's seen. The swimming pool stands empty, Strangely quiet before four this day. The lifeguard shields against the rain Falling occasionally in the season. A stray dog walks past. Miserable and weak. It will die before the winter, And no one notices when that happens. Then lightning in the sky. The swimming pool's off limits; For an hour at least, the lifeguard says, This being primary in his business. Most visitors go for the overhang shelter Or home for the rest of the day. The lounge chairs get a thorough soaking And someone scares the stray away. A crow lands on the roof. A fly buzzes past the bathers chatting. One of the barbecue grills is fighting To stay lit but soon goes out. Then the skies begin to brighten. The clouds break for a while. Several kids dart out to chase around And the barbecue grill's re-lighted. Five thirty and the pool's reopened Until around nine o'clock that night. People from different corners of life Come here for their summer times. "What do you do for a living?" "Which country are you from?" "What do we have in common?" and, Why do we bother with this talking?