It sits across the street
hulking and cavernous
and draped with the banners
declaring past victories
Mainly it is empty
Sometimes men with miniature chainsaws
ponderously trim the whole long line
of bushes
standing between the sidewalk
and the fence
I find the irregular stop
start buzzing
a little hard to take
Sometimes men with miniature bulldozers
move around dirt or gravel
in the Winter, shovel snow
Once after a storm we started
digging ourselves out watching
the little machine
making such efficient work of it
And it felt like a tiny miracle
when it turned to clear our drive
it took 2 minutes
certainly not more
Now it is Summer
and in the long evenings and warm nights
all different kinds of people
(all slim, though)
squeeze through the gap in the gate
to go wander or drink or play on the big field
Soon it will be Fall
and the tide of students
going to and leaving the school on our other side
will return to washing litter up onto our lawn
and marking our days with shouts
at 8 and 3 o’clock
The stadium will attract games
as they do in their season
and the police will regulate traffic
and the echoing calls will crowd the day
And I won’t mind nearly as much
as I expect to
It is hulking and majestic
and worth learning to love