I so like the peeling of the bells
In this old city neighborhood
With its rough edges and dirty concrete
Where I sit with my coffee
An August sun warming my arms

Two morning doves waddle past
Wondering if I’ll slip some crumbs to the ground
A Corgi demands attention
From the couple sitting beside me

The bells hearken me back
To lazy summer days
And daily calls to prayer
When an old church hymn
Rang over the neighborhood
And I stopped to listen

The world now so steeped in disarray
It seeps into even the quiet moments

Just for a moment I enjoy
The summer sun
And lilting reminiscences