when grass was green and grain was yellow

i'm sitting outside, because i can. the sky is a muddy pink and it looks as if it will rain. the air is tepid, like bathwater sat in too long. it is windy, gusty but not in an annoying way. the squirrels are chattering, chasing in the yard. while i was walking on the other street today, i saw just by the road a dead squirrel, kind of all turned inside out, gross, and in the adjacent lawn was another squirrel, scrabbing in the leaves looking for nuts, probably, but maybe he was looking for his dead friend. do squirrels even notice when one is missing? "where's pedro?"

after i watered the flowers, i moved that one - the one that always topples over in a storm - i moved it into the corner of the chimbly. i'd like to have a cup of coffee, but i don't feel like making one. i think i could fall asleep right here.