prairie

a single tear trickles along my cheek

dripping slowly down the crevices of my ear

a saltwater river passing over rocks, so to speak

the night’s adventures disappear.

a cole hardware alarm mourns its lost

warm protection ripped from my frame

young light from the sun melts the frost

california poppies admit to their fame.

soft pink beaks tweet their hunger

as a lioness grooms her cubs’ eyes

a reminder of not getting any younger

balmy heat new to arise.

warming eggos in a toaster or harvesting berries from a bush,

the sun will rise regardless, ending a drowned out shush.