Even on someone as dense as me,
the irony of yesterday’s ninety-six degrees is not lost;
two days ago, we had frost.

As I waited during the current construction
on Highway 36 near Troy,
I felt the wind toying with the car,
watched bits of plastic whipped along,
sliding toward Iowa.

The day of high breeze and temperatures
sapped the surface moisture
from the newly seeded section of lawn
but it was useless to try watering
in that.

In the night, though,
the wind passed on,
leaving this quiet dawn of still branches
and gentle sky,
the first bit of color coming
softly through the leaves of the trees
and whispering peace
upon the beginning of this good day.

H. Arnett
5/15/13