The sky is gray,

the woods still, quiet –

the air seems to pause,

expectant, waiting

for the coming front

to bring wind, rain, cold.

 

The air smells of jasmine, 

blooming early,

Bougainvillea spills over a wall;

will bougainvillea and jasmine

survive the coming cold?

 

I meet a friend,

walking a dog named Emma –

he says Emma is feeling slow;

I note her graying muzzle.

An elderly man walks his blind dog –

he waits patiently

while she sniffs her way around. 

 

The world outside

may be falling apart

but here, in the woods,

with the scent of jasmine,

and the love I see,

for the good old dogs,

I find a moment of peace,

a moment with God!

Joyce Alexander 2/26/20