late August early evening

cicadas rasp and sing
unreasonably cool breeze
stirs the leaves

young lady sits
disconsolate
on a park bench,
then jumps up
animated, giggling
as her lover appears

even the ponderous
black dog, sweaty jowls
slowly raises his head
sniffs the air
like a dying man

as the dark comes
so too do the crickets
harbingers of autumn