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I’m in the process of taking photos to go with 50 poems I’ve written–it’s a way to survive the pandemic. Here is a photo of a painted lady on a cosmos, part of my take on retirement.

First Day of Retirement

The panicked whine of a chain saw

Rips through my black morning coffee

At 8:07.

I turn on the radio

For the latest traffic jams.

Bay Bridge backup to the Maze,

Looks good from an oversized chair.

At 8:12

I replay how a red-shouldered hawk swoops down

For the remains of a discarded sandwich

In the parking lot of the Carmel Mission,

A thought to replace the agony of a commute.

At 8:15 I’m outside with my camera,

Waiting for a painted lady on a cosmos.

Tomorrow, I will put away the clock.

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