Guten morgen
for Oberursel, Germany 2023
Outside the opened window
scalloped green oak leaves
shimmy in the breeze
with a greeting of “Guten Morgen!”
The sun’s affectionate “Hallo”
streams boldly through
reaching for the duvet where I lie
lingering on the edge of hypnopompic hallucinations
The mellow coo, woo, woo, woo
of the mourning dove
from the weathered bough of the giant oak
gently coaxes, “Wake up! Wach auf!”
Tap-rat-a-tat-tat, Tap-rat-a-tat-tat,
a steel horseshoe is fitted to a horse’s hoof
from a neighboring stable
offering a morning bouquet of hay and horse manure
A butterfly with transparent white wings
hesitates at the window
before surrendering to the breeze
that carries it away on a whim
Good morning, Oberursel!
2023 Lauri Cruver Cherian