Cattle

Nightfall 

     Lowing in the backyard:

cows have come again to visit

Ma and Pa deep in the wilds

of Lake Buenavista where farm

and crepe myrtle meet purple martin

birdhouses erected to fight mosquitos,

     St Augustine grass so coarse

     it slices your foot pads and hides

sand spurs, fire ants and rattlers.

Even Aunt's place on the golf course

has its dangers: once Hurricane

Charlie almost crashed her chimney.

She died before repairs were made:

her jewelry abandoned at St Paul's. 

[testimony] check