Long Life: A Solo Shisan

Thick smoke fills the air
From hundreds of wildfires
In the late June heat

The sky has the strangest tint
Like something seen in a dream

The old photograph
Doesn't match her memory
Of her wedding day

***
Dry leaves, tumbling in the wind,
Behind the large speeding truck

Mixing with the sound
Of the flourescent full moon
High in the clear sky

On the patio some friends
Share some old familiar tunes

***
Icicles glisten,
Catching the first rays of light
On Sunday morning

He sips a cup of coffee
Before the children wake up

Reconnoitering,
Walking slowly from room to rooom,
The old family cat

***
Through the small open window
A warm breeze carries fresh scents

Of the apple tree
Left over from the orchard
That used to be here

Grandmother tells the story
Of her grandmother's long life