sweet drone

It took me seven months
To feel a hint of ease
At having to be 800 miles from home
In a new “home”

It was the cicadas, with their sudden rise
From the ground, their litter of skins and sheer numbers
All in chorus, those three species, only subtle colors and sounds to mark their differences

It was the twenty-five minute drive to Manassas
Just for some donuts
For that ride through that city to make it feel like I was back on my own ground
For just a moment
Cause that’s how it sort of looks
Endless trees and a shitty road and few buildings in between

It was turning on the AC since it reached 90 outside
Being able to sleep in my preferred deep freeze
That certain plastic-must smell that lets me know summer is within reach, just a few more weeks

There will be other things, I’m sure, but I’m still waiting
Chomping at the bit
Like a starved dog who got a whiff of meat on the back of a humid breeze

Gotta give it more than seven months
I know.