The refrigerator hums

a tune and the radiator

whistles a softer tune

than the thumping

of the washing machine.

The whispering dishes

shiver on the cabinet shelves.

Spices argue

about their pungent aromas,

And the celery seed

slips from the shelf.

Hearing the crash,

the flowers

on the wallpaper

cling to the wall.

Light from the window

reflects off of the sink,

and warms the face

of the grandfather clock.



The rain sloshes

against my window.

The lamp shakes its head,

mourning

the radio's return.

The cat falls

from the chair,

chasing a bumblebee.

The floorboards yowl.

Across the street,

a motorcycle sneezes,

and the car coughs

down the road in reply.

The bugs on the skylight

whisper together

about the downstairs clock:

how it groans

trying to strike the hour.