A Common Afternoon

As I stand outside

I can feel and hear

And see and smell

There are birds and trees

And butterflies galore

The gentle, cool breeze

I welcome it as it turns and twists

It encompasses my being

And the soft, warm sun

It shines on my skin

Like a blanket

Or a supernova of comfort

The earth

It smells of dirt and dew

And the leaves

As they start to fall

They smell bitter

And sweet

And like the hope of a beautiful day

About to drift off into another

The leaves blow in circles

They are tornadoes

Of the start of a new season

The gentle, blue sky floats

Over the unassuming mountains

As they tower over the land

The birds chirp. . . chirp

And then the crickets start to hum

And the locusts finish off the sympohony

That surrounds me

This is a magnificent day

It is unlike any other

Yet for this place

It is extraordinarily common