on arrival they set the great on fire

the bamboo and the climber

the bay tree and the rosebush

have taken over

we have a small orange mower

but we don't use it

so that the insects and the butterflies

can lead their own lives more fully

so that if we are using the garden furniture

it looks as if we are in nature

and if we are using the hammock

all the birds and other creatures

make us feel like we are natural ourselves

and that the sounds of the city traffic

the smells of it

the feeling of the city traffic

triangular on our skin

crystalline on our tongues

is only temporary

and will last only as long as one era lasts

or as long as one day does

or as long as god sees fit

or unlike anything else

any living thing

as long as we want it to last

in the small back garden of our

housing association flat where

we buried our third child