roy herndon smith
the leaf blower’s roar
like an elemental force
silences all else
as it clears the hard
made-to-last surfaces of
sidewalks and driveways
then it fades into
the beating and pauses of
the heart and the breath
that are always here
along with the low thrumming
of sentient flesh
going the quiet
way of leaves detaching and
falling to the earth
dust 