crickets

Crickets tonight

as I sit on the couch

yesterday it was a bird call

as I walked back from ultimate frisbee

what tomorrow?

a deer

or rabbit

or squirrel

or two big furry scary raccoons 

making their way to our front steps

ravaging the Cape Cod Chip bag 

and the other bags

on the steps

I slam the door once

to scare them

then again

those bold buggers

come up closer to the door

and I keep it closed

scared

scared of furry raccoons?

They do look squeezable

but I watch them from inside

take a photo through the window

to show the kids

Connor who later says,

Why did you walk away?

or the kids' buddy who points and says,

Hey, look at the paw prints!

because he's right, there they are, those little raccoon prints

going up our front stairs, all the way up to the door.

But now I've cleared the steps

so no raccoons tonight 

to scare me or

keep me company

just me

and the crickets

learning how to be alone

how to be together

letting out our sounds in the ways 

we know.