Having been gifted
with girls you were then
blessed with boys
and then came
the miracle twins
and the stray terrier
the runaway cat
and the teen godchild
whom you harbored
out of the goodness
of your heart
not to mention
your significant other
your down-and-out-brother
and an elderly mother-in-law upstairs
the out-of-town guest
and the kids next door
are running through the
sprinklers in your yard
while the sparrows feed
from the seeds in that
birdhouse you crafted
and now
as you get your morning paper
you make sure not to
step on the metropolis
ant farm on your driveway
for you are a
suburban emperor
of all living things
big and small

© by Ivan Jenson.
Used with the author’s permission.