This Is A Good Thing

like the taste of fall’s first tart apple      
or the dawn autumn light slanting across the deck
this is a good thing   like the crispness of the air
the crunch of your boot in the driveway when the snow
first falls and the sun is almost down
at four in the evening   this is a good thing
like the smell of garlic and basil tomato sauce
with a touch of saffron    in early spring
or the scent you leave in the house in the morning
as I hear your car move toward the city   this is
a good thing   gold finches and cardinals singing
in the backyard cherry tree in summer
or the family of woodchucks   who live
under the shed   nibbling the cosmos   nasturtiums
sunflowers   this is a good thing
and you and I home among the voices of children
the murmur of animals   among the ghosts
and secrets   among the spirits and saints
and the sighs that hold us through the night
this is a good thing