Today you can start over

Every summer morning, I awaken
to the whirr of my neighbor’s lawn-mower.
It should irritate me, but it never does.
–––Today you can start over
It purrs through my window, as the stoic
grandfather clock in the hall chimes six.


Every summer morning, I lay in bed
listening to the birds twitter enthusiastically,
And watching the sun waltz across my wall,
keeping time with their effortless refrains
Until I notice the earthy smell of coffee
seeping into the thick aroma of freshly cut grass.


This summer morning, I lie in bed
and hear the grandfather clock chime six,
I hear the birds twittering and
see the sun waltzing across the wall
––– But the lawnmower is silent.
Rolling over, his cologne overpowers
the coffee smell.
My neighbor is still asleep.
-––Today, I can start over.