The bright report of basil at my fingertips,
and fresh chopped garlic when I came inside,
were echoed in the sweet strains
of guitar strings tuning  –
all sending messages across the air

Then there was breakfast,
and there were songs played,
and there was conversation in the cool house

And then submergence
in a cold creek,
and heat to warm us when we came out

In early evening
the sunlight plays along the walls
while shadows outside scam impressions
(false for now) of cooling.
The contentment that embraced me
just a few days ago
still bathes my world. And truly, that’s enough.

©Wendy Mulhern
July 15, 2023