I look out the window to a beam
of sun on the neighbor’s pine
laden with cones.

In my yard, I cup my arthritic hands
to catch a flurry of gold maple leaves.

Clouds brighten gray sky.
A child’s giggles ride the gentle wind,
followed by a blue jay’s call.

I inhale mist sprinkling yellow waves
of grass. My aging spaniel stretches
her skinny legs under the covered porch.

At sunset, oak tree’s silhouette
looms beneath lavender sky.

My tabby kitten on the window seat
of the cramped kitchen
crawls under the crochet blanket.

Watching a cold full moon,
I bead my silent words of gratitude
for another ordinary day.