Annie's grandmother's house had a wraparound porch.
It was a big half circle that faced the street and stretched
almost to the backyard
We used to hang out there after school
since it was halfway between our two houses and
neutral ground between our families
Annie's grandmother made us Lemonade and sometimes cookies
she would talk to us for a while, pat me on the shoulder
then left us alone
Just the two of us, on the porch
on a swing, not talking, just watching traffic
listening to the windchimes
I still think of that sound when humid summer fades into fall
as the winds turn around to the North
and shades trees empty themselves into piles of leaves
Annie left town a few years back and her Grandmother passed
I'm pretty sure the house is still there, but when someone took the windchimes down
I stopped driving by to check
.