ALL-DAY

Redwood 2 x 6s drinking in the dark beyond the eave,
before steady sprinkling puddles to reflect gray dawn,
before the sorrel horses find new games to play

waiting at the manger for the slap of a screen door,
the deliberate movement of humans, hats tipped to the sky.
Thin rain, a second dose to a perfect prescription

to bind the deep and loose, grassless dehydration
of hills to hold their shape, promising color
we can only imagine after six-months of loading

and unloading hay to cows. Late to bed, the goddess
has returned—timid and quiet under covers of clouds.
With no excuses, no wild promises, she stays all-day.