Suburbia

Over in a  quiet corner of suburbia

several owls come within hearing,

usually as the skies turn turquoise

for sunset or sunrise.

For these, too, we are intensely grateful.

The birds use uncut hedges and rough hillside grassland as their patch and they were in evidence that time to favour this place.

cloak themselves in whatever wildflowers

are there already,

something to learn from,

something to give clues about the grass

and its history.

There will be a crop of foxgloves ideal

in the shadow of the owls,

and scarlet pimpernel as a carpet.