I was just starting to prune
\nthe many little branches
\nsprouting from the base
\nof each of the four tall maples
\nthe stand along the back of our yard.<\/p>\n
He came over to the corner
\nof his yard where it meets mine\u2014
\nmy new neighbor
\nwho is converting his house
\nto a Thai restaurant\u2014
\nand asked if I needed a chain saw;
\n“Neighbours are like family,” he said.<\/p>\n
A half hour later, when he had cut
\nall of the little branches
\nand some big ones
\nso that the trees were all cleared
\nof sprouts and the back of my yard
\nwas filled with branches and leaves,<\/p>\n
he asked if I wanted to see
\nthe work he had been doing
\non the new restaurant.
\nThe main work so far
\nhad been installing the foundation
\nfor a massive I-beam
\nthat I could see in place
\non its concrete supports
\nunder the building.<\/p>\n
“We need that to support
\nthe heavy commercial equipment
\nfor the new restaurant kitchen,”
\nsaid his wife, snuggling against his arm.
\nAs they showed me the new walk,
\nthe new staircase, the place where
\nthe little garden house would be,
\nthe place under the tree where
\ncustomers would sit under the pergola
\nin warm weather, I thought
\nhow dreams can be happy
\nwhen such people dream them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Some interesting new people have come into our neighborhood. (#925) Continue reading