Ending the Day

There are the usual providers of peace
after days of stress:
a porch, rocking chairs, and birds.

Birds sing their praise,
as rocking chairs and porch
add a subtle chorus.

Swifts scour the sky,
sweeping the evening for insects,
sharp wings their brooms.

They fly with short beaks open
and will soon dive down
to chimneys where their nests are glued.

Then come mosquitos
that like The Red Cross depend
on our rich, thick blood.

They announce it’s time to go in.

Screened windows open
and bedrooms, cool and airy,
offer sleepy welcome

and will ferry you off to comfort
and relaxation.