Be Nice to Bill
Before dawn
Bill stoops under
crimson leaves
of the low-hanging
Japanese Maple
and reaches for
the Sunday paper
tossed too far
by a boy on his bike.
A breeze informs
the branches Bill just
got up, no coffee yet.
Tap his head
and say Good Morning.
He’ll be back
in a couple of hours
to prune you.
Be nice to Bill.
Donal Mahoney
