Sitting in the park

When the wind shifts
to the north I shudder

the scene is one
of endless green

a beauty bathed
in sunlight

that filters through
the shadow of trees

People are walking
their dogs but the dogs

long to be released
from their leads

long to romp
in the long grass

A man throws a ball
and his dog leaps

into the air
catches it before

it hits the ground
I watch them play

but when the wind shifts
to the north I shudder

John Lyons