101 in the Shade

Looking up.
Slanting porch roof
Coarse plane braces mellow gray
Against the underside of tin.
Thin tin, turning back the sun.
Metal hills and valleys rolling like the letters on a page.

Green swing
Chained with two taut “y”s to hang still as a summer afternoon
Above concrete as smooth as river rock
Cool dark gray in the shade.

Square pillow underhead (vitalis, last week’s sweat, dirt dauber dust)
My bare feet on the chain that parallels the road.
Cool gray chain, dirty toes.
Push.
And pause.
And push the chain again.
And rock the swing from side to side to side to side
Stirring up a summer breeze.