Closing Shift

By Natalie Smith

---

The pavement smells damp with drying rain

From another spontaneous summer storm,

I chauffeur the sweet scent of the donut shop

Back to my comforting home doused in sleep.

But for now I hold a personal concert

I drive with the windows all the way down,

My headlights break the darkness,

Lighting up the curves of the country roads.

First the train bridge, 

A cautious structure made of old wood

And I already hear their chirping melody,

The tree frogs sing tonight.

As I reach the bridge over the stream

I turn down the late night radio

And become an attentive audience

For the experienced choir of frogs.

I allow my car to hover still for a moment

The way my mother usually does

When she tells me and my sister to shush

And just listen to the loud nature in this quiet darkness.