great week

Harvey S. Mozolak

the week is about to begin

the weather report indicates it will start

below freezing

deadly to early blossoms

so there will be no standing 

in the courtyard with palms 

for the mostly elderly crowd

although they would not complain

but there is no good in catching a chill

and dying before Friday

several neighbors are mowing

since the city is not far enough south

to have palms on the block

the scent of wet wounded grass

will have to do this eve 

which is the day already begun

collected in bags for the dump

children running in the last long shadows

with bats balls and bikes 

unaware that the king

is coming to town

that death 

from which they are carefully shielded

except for what is televised

and played as game from time to time

must be seen and embraced

braced like the fence against

the old dead tree on the corner

that marks the edge of the community

and secures it for the week end