This morning begins
With my sister’s avocado toast-
and the last Romas from
her soon-to-be mowed over garden-

Thick skinned tomato beauties
that hung on, while their
Softer cherry tomatoe cousins-
Already succumbed.
Adding mulch for next year.

‘The tomatoes were good this year’ my sister says
As her hands manage to find a few chili peppers
Pulling weeds as she goes.
Slightly chiding the usual stars: the zucchini
For such a bad showing, this year.

Luna, the black labrador/pit mix
Bounds In
Catching me Unawares-

Kissing me in the ear,
Licking me up and down my forearms-
Vibrating happiness-

A safe covid connection,
Well,
Kind of gross- but it leaves me laughing-
Easy to do the surgeon ready wash-up
Of the covid days.

After brunch and Jasmine raspberry tea-
In old thin tea cups,
Maybe vintage, maybe scrummaged-
from the ‘MoshPit’ my sister’s name for the flea market free for all,
where she finds these cool hand-me-downs,
I notice(& want) after each visit.

I sit with Luna in a studded brown leather lazy boy
(chair for you uninitiated)
She is
Pressing all 86 pounds(lbs.) into my back-
Pure sinew, brown, shimmer sleek
Of Dog- Who
I think who just found her
Aspie human littermate-

It puts her to sleep, puppy dawg snores and
Her steady deep pressure, –
Anchors me,(no need for my dissolvable
clonazepam here).

Yesterday, was of loose ends-
A careful fastening of this and that-
A careful giving of sisterly knowing-

Exchanging books and that gentle
Leaning in,
My sister and I do-

Settling into a familiar
Rhythm that is
Soothing-

Without the need for
Constant chatter.
Relearning-

Our ways as sisters
After 57 years

Of knowing.