A Sweet Languid Afternoon

maybe because it is Sunday
the pleasure of the afternoon remains
unbroken    holding me
firm in its embrace
despite some half-naked neighbor
mowing his lawn
to the even level of respectability

the shade is deep enough
for me to enjoy the music of bees
as they labor beautifully in the lavender
creating the motifs of this natural life

the lawnmower stops

I notice the slip of silence
its echo rippling through the trees
through the air
as clouds break formation --
the fragrance of the flowers
suddenly more intense

intoxicated
I begin singing
a karaoke with birds