Currently quite relaxed. The chilly air gently swirls about me. A cacophony of chirping is above me to the left. Fluorescent pink rose petals draw the eye away from the robust thorns behind them. The coolness is refreshing but also uncomfortable--the sun refuses to disperse its cloudy veil.

The black and white cat gazes at me with incredulity, then looks away, then back--calmer this time, and sated with the dry food I have poured into its bowl.We stare at each other from a distance of ten feet. Its ears and head swivel to meet sudden sounds. The grating of the dear Sunday lawnmower springs to life, and we listen with pleasure. Nothing to do but sit, stare at one another, and wait for the next mealtime.

Cat cries behind me. The sun deigns to appear. Cat's wearing white padded shoes.

A dragonfly noisily flits about, reconnoitering. Palm fronds steady themselves in the wind. The breeze is stronger now, a gentle relentlessness. The lawnmower stops, and an ambient machinelike hum comes into focus--a prolonged machine breathing, like that of refrigeration equipment.

I yawn. I am spent. I return inside to drink from my books.