The Day After Labor Day

By Joan Bransfield Graham
September breeze, an island chill,
the streets so quiet . . . still,
       seem wider now
but soon they fill
                               with gulls

that stride and squawk
and boldly walk
       the middle of the road—
I wish I understood
                               gull-talk

perhaps they, too, feel harmony
no crowds, no noise
       now once again
just sand, waves, sky, and sea
                 . . . just gulls and me

Copyright Credit: Joan Bransfield Graham, "The Day After Labor Day" from Sharing the Seasons: A Book of Poems. Copyright © 2010 by Joan Bransfield Graham. Reprinted by permission of Joan Bransfield Graham.
Source: Sharing the Seasons: A Book of Poems (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2010)