Of no consequence

A plump black cat with a white belly
           stands on the garden wall
and has a good look around
           it can hear a bird chirping
pneumatically in a bush close by
           Today the sun is up
it’s going to be a scorcher
           the cat is there on the wall
indecisively surveying the scene
           taking mental notes or
sketching out a plan for the day
            Scarcely a single lilac bloom
has survived the onslaught
           of the oxidising air that has
turned them all to rusty combs
           soon to be dust : let that
be a lesson to us all— they don’t
           come any clearer

John Lyons