There aren't going to be any fireworks this year
as they might just light where they land
and turn Birmingham into
an awfully bright torch for a week.

It's flooding down in Texas, Oregon,
Pennsylvania?
An embarrassment of riches
while everything around here is dying.

I pity the chipmunk I found the other day.
I think he died of thirst, though this is
all conjecture, you understand.
What a way to go.

I buried him by the fig tree
with half its leaves yellow from
the brutal sun and season. They've got
something in common, at least.

They could have conversations about it
if one wasn't a dead and rotting rodent
and the other a brittle yellow tree.
The devil is in the details.

07/03/2007

Posted on 07/03/2007
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