Shhh...listen.

The rain tapping on our van

The cat strolling down the laminate

The ice veneer on limbs cracking in the wind

The dot dashing of chalk on a board

The train howling over there somewhere

Robins talk in the maple

A line of geese returning on the distance

Whispers through the pines at attention

Snow crunches its spirits up like fog

The train wails in mourning as time passes

The furnace starts breathing again

A child turns over in bed

The garbage can flips its lid

Wheels on asphalt roll their sound

The train waits at the station

with nothing to say

but hums

as it is loading

memory

It will teach my children

to listen more attentively

when I am gone they

will recognize

the important

memorial calls