"When the virus of restlessness begins to take possession of a wayward man, and the road away from Here seems broad and straight and sweet, the victim must first find in himself a good and sufficient reason for going. This to the practical bum is not difficult. He has a built-in garden of reasons to choose from." John Steinbeck
There is a placejust off the highway
where dragonflies drop their eggs
into the pond, and hummingbirds
swarm the feeders that have, so far,
delivered 66 pounds of sugar to their frenzied tongues.
A family of quail venture out
to a patch of ground forsaken by squirrels,
and a hawk screams overhead.
Blue jays leap from hanging feeders and send them swinging,
while dove feathers, bone and sinew lie in nearby grass.
Shade of pine, cypress and madrone
promise the day will cool when evening comes
and stars light the night.
I will rest my head upon unfamiliar pillows
and dream of who knows what....
