In my backyard

The crickets chirp -

Keek keek

Keek keek keek

Keek keek keek keek

semitrucks hummmmmmmmm in a soft slow

Hummmmmmmmmm

and long distance travelers cruise through the valley along the concrete highway, desperate to reach their destination safely

around the mountains, around

The road it curves around the mountain

the collective groan of metal and engines

and friction

and music

and horns

cmprsd

into one, low, single, frequency

Hummmmmmmmm

The trees and bushes rustle

Shhhhhhhhh

in a soft warm breeze,

whissssssspering to each other the ssssssssecrets of the universsssseeeeee

And stillness, until

Shhhhhhhhh

A sharp p l o p cuts through the whispers as a croaking bullfrog jumps into the water,

The fountain trickles and babbles water cascading over a small waterfall into a pond,

illuminated by small flickering fireflies

dancing across the air

Glowing for their one and only

And p l o p again

as a big white and orange koi fish,

shiny and wet in the moonlight,

It breaches the surface of the dark trickling waters to snatch a firefly for its supper

G L O P

and return to its meditative pacing around and around among its brothers and sisters

Spooked by the sudden awoo woo woof woof from the neighbors’ curly-haired goldendoodle

My dog awakens and joins the midnight orchestra in its song.