seven a.m. The roofers arrive and begin work, air compressor lurching on and off, hammers and ladders banging.
eight a.m. Bartok plays on the radio, the accompaniment of the roofers strangely appropriate.
noon. Cicadas buzz high up on leafy branches.
three p.m. The yells and shrieks of children at play are heard through the hot afternoon air
six p.m. As the sun relents, people gather on porches, shouting greetings to passing friends.
eight p.m. A rap beat pulses out of a car as it saunters down the street.
eleven p.m. Friends gather on the neighbor's porch in the cooler night. Conversation and music drift down the street.
five a.m. Dawn. Silence.
And then - a cardinal begins his song, ringing in the stillness, joyfully welcoming a new day.
