The house
smells of peppers
And garlic
and onions
The rising
sun lights up the sky
Soft blue,
almost white
The street
is quiet, quieter than usual
So quiet I
can hear the gears turning
In the empty
bus that rolls by
The birds
have noticed the change
The fox and
the coyote too
There are fewer
people to contend with
Fewer cars
and people walking
Fewer things
to fear