the front porch

hello new neighbour with envelopes in hand
come on up and sit a bit
just step right over my furry friend there
he'll be leaving soon
he walks himself these days
i just slow him down
set yourself in that rocker
looks rickety but it's stronger than both of us

look at that
a baltimore oriole
icterus galbula
used to be hordes of them around here
ah yes the days of the golden birds
don't go yet
don't worry about mailing those letters
wait for Harold
he'll be along any minute now

there goes Chin Leng
right on time
he owns the restaurant on main street
in before dawn every morning
around ten he runs home to feed the old ones
then back for the lunch rush and so on
don't know when he sleeps

here comes Harold now
he always shares a word or two
if the sun's shining and his bag's not too full
don't know how much longer he can carry that thing
just can't imagine anyone else doing the post
his boots know the way on their own
his nature's not too nosy either

meet my new neighbour Harold
can you take these letters for him
nothing for me
that's okay
i still have yesterday's stack to sort through
watch your step at the end of the street now
don't trip on that broken curb
he's a good old boy
our Harold

so how do you like the old Johnson place
does that fourth step on the front stairway still creak
Martin junior tried to fix it
young fella did a good job too
his dad unfixed it right away
got to know what time that kid gets home
he told me on the sly
i still miss Martin
Bess tried to stay on afterwards
but she said the house felt haunted
don't be startled
he's a friendly ghost

got to keep our voices down
Mary's sleeping
she had a bad night
shifting from hip to hip every few minutes
she's on a waiting list
but then again
aren't we all
it's just Mary and me these days
our son is a lawyer in the city
i need help with our taxes
but I don't want to worry him
our Suzy turned herself into a doctor
smart as a stinging nettle that one
she's out on the coast
in neurology
too bad she's not here
in geriatrics
don't see enough of them
or the grandkids
but life is good as long as
i can make it out to this chair every morning
wouldn't want to miss the mail
you know

see that old green house on the corner...