lakepoem #10
it seems sort
of futile to
be cleaning off
one’s roof with a spoon like
the maiden
in the fairy tales who had
to empty the
pond with a teacup a spatula
works too
the broom comes later after
all the needles
leaf litter green puffs of
entrenched moss
are loosened they feed on
the shingles
hold the damp allow even
little trees to
catch hold if we didn’t do this
every year
we’d have leaks and a green
roof maybe
support a goat or two I say
we because I
never do this alone fall off
a roof and
who’s to notice it’s rather
a pleasant job
on a cool sunny day creeping
about on
top of one’s domain
checking whether
the roof will last another
year and the
companionship is pleasant
too we talk
of things we don’t talk of
under the roof
© Jacqueline Jackson 2008
This article appears in Sep 4-10, 2008.
