A breeze comes from the east

and I pull up my shirt to feel it on my belly.

All around me, people smile and

the dogs being walked lift their noses

 

and don’t even bark, because

when a breeze comes from the east

it means the southern Sierra has decided to share

a good thing with the valley

 

and remind us that there’s more to life

than just this incessant heat because

when a breeze comes from the east

it plays with hats not tied down on our heads and

 

the kids on the soccer field run a little faster

and a mother pushes the swing a little harder and

all humanity just feels a little more human when

a breeze comes from the east.