Here I sit at the edge of the pond,
as the dragonflies,
in their beautiful colours,
they hover elegantly about,
to the sound of bird song,
and in the trees the birds they sing,
and they pluck their feathers,
and to their partners,
they exchange the latest news,
and warn of any harm,
and of any incoming inclement weather,
and as I gaze into the water around the edge,
where earlier the tadpoles have been,
I see them moving all fully grown,
amongst the vegetation of exquisite green.
And, the insects,
oh, how they dart and float,
some under the water,
some across the surface,
like the world’s smallest boat.
And in the grass,
around the pond the tiny ants do pass,
to scavenge and gather food,
and as they move quickly along,
the butterflies of white, they float on by,
headed to the allotments through the greenery,
and across the magnificent blue sky.
And look, here comes the well-fed cat,
from behind the tree,
moving in exquisite motion and poetry,
and meowing so contentedly,
and so friendly to me,
and then, up it gets upon my lap,
and positions itself until it is comfortable,
and it takes a nap.
And with no cares in the world,
and with its home close by,
it purrs so gently as a dog barks loudly,
yet it is not disturbed one bit, and it does not blink an eye,
for it is so happy to bathe in the summer’s heat,
and dream, dream as the world goes by,
and then, I close my eyes,
and for a while contentedly, so do I,
and twenty minutes later fully refreshed I awake,
to the sounds of a lawnmower,
cutting the grass in the orchard,
to the sound of the conversation of ladies,
talking about their love lives and a recipe for cake.
And then, with a whistle,
someone slowly opens the nearby gate,
and their dog enters first,
and then so do they with a cheerful smile upon their face,
and they are carrying a can of beer,
and some food in a bag that has seen better days,
and after sitting down gently they quietly take their place,
and then, they say hello, and light up a cigarette,
and with a look of relaxation,
they smoke and stare into space.
And then,
whilst the church clock chimes out the time of the day,
to the sound of a beautiful English summer,
I think to myself;
this community orchard and pond is a blessed place.
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