"Louisiana Sunday Afternoon"

Melancholic oak
welcomes the wind--
purple rippling surface barely
moves me,
but a cold heat stifles.

A bird’s sudden flight
signals a warning--
and smoldering clouds announce
it is far too late

A friendly smile tells me what I need to know—
that a hot Lousiana rain is about to break.

Carrollton Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, June 2004