It's Still Life

Afterward There Was the Afternoon

a nap
in the afternoon sun,

where poems wait

birds arguing
in hedges

sunlight
on warming soil

breezes
oscillating

roots that resisted yesterday
but not today

the quiet satisfaction
of loosening
what does not belong

weeding is good editorial practice, after all.

keep what thrives.
lift what crowds.

make space for what wants light.

and while I work,
no need to chase lines.

I’ll listen to what my eyes miss:
blackbird,
robin,
a crow
who thinks himself

management.

and nap in the sun.

Written for Writers’ Digest Poem-a-Day Challenge for April 2026. Prompt word: fan. ©Misky 2006-2026. Image is of yellow rapeseed fields near Cowfold, West Sussex