looking out    

by Suzanne S. Eaton


he opened the window and let in
the smell of a fresh morning

the dew on the grass and the summer
scent of a world busy thriving

with the faint hum of cordial
voices nearby.

her heart reached for the
hovering tree half-lit by sun,

limbs bowing gracefully
in the breeze while the green

spring of life shimmered across
identic callow leaves.

clouds nested in treetops
with gashes of blue 

that diffused into an
endless beryl sky,

her hardships melted into a
moment of conciliation.

she loved this symphony of life—offered to all
yet wondered why some

still choose insurgency
over amity

and leave in their wake
desultory victims of malice

who can no longer look out and
take in the obeisance of life.

she adjusted the tired
blanket over useless legs

gratified by a light-hearted morning
and nature’s enlivening

that helped her forget herself,
her privation, her plight

and just feel thankful for
the world outside

with its constant rhythm and
fight to continue.

tomorrow he’ll open the window
and let in a fresh morning

with the sound of distant
cars travelling to who-knows-where

the smell of fresh-cut grass
and new possibilities.


* * * * *

Suzanne S. Eaton is an author and marketing consultant. She has written many corporate stories and magazines. She authored the book “Chinese Herbs,” reprinted by Harmony Press seven times. She has written for various magazines and anthologies. Most recently, Down in the Dirt Magazine, Writer Shed Stories, Seaborne Magazine, The Purpled Nail, The Silent World in Her Vase (TSWHV), Scarlet Leaf Review, and Rue Scribe have selected her work for publication.