hinges squeak as Belle the cat
pushes open the bedroom door
then the soft thump as she leaps on the bed
the tink of the curtain bell as she noses it open
to set her watch on the morning back yard
the rustle of the sheets as Barbara stirs
to begin her morning wake up
Lulu the old canary chirps from her window perch
the furious churn and bubble of the tea kettle
as i prepare morning coffee
the silence of the mountains
under their scant load of snow
these are the morning sounds
that greet me today
The Ace Hotel Notebook 