I found an English garden all about me—
Peach trees in blossom,
Cut grass,
A cheerful disposition of colors and textures.
A sigh escaped my lips.
I heard a sound and froze in my tracks,
Wriggled through a gap in the fence.
Here goes . . . !
Had an impulse to run away.
A plan of action finally jelled in my mind:
keep quiet.
I had to laugh when I saw who my opponent was:
a cat with a monotone coat.
All that trouble for nothing.
I ate one peach,
Paused to clear my throat, then proceeded,
Life being very short, and the quiet hours of it few.
Then I remembered that today is your birthday.
Sniffed the lilacs,
Took a deep breath—
Moist, cool, soft grass growing underfoot,
Dusk verging into night.
I see what seems to be a dead tree—
Xylophagous fungi.
You can’t win them all.
Today I accomplished zero.
Source: The American Heritage Dictionary