Cape Cod Evening, by Ross Thompson

Cape Cod Evening, by Edward Hopper (USA) 1939

Cape Cod Evening
 
On the outskirts of Truro, where the town
gives way to a locust grove, I dive deep
into the details of early evening. 
 
Sat on the porch in undershirt and slacks, 
I bathe in autumn breeze, molasses sweet: 
the same air that disturbs Josephine’s skirt
 
and ruffles the brush strokes of Bonnie’s fur. 
Just as the day turns dark, she cocks her head, 
perhaps distracted by the nearby trill
 
of a whippoorwill, and watches through grass
in need of a cutting towards the wood,
ears and tail up, guarding her property. 
 
Later, before bed, one last cigarette. 
The heady scent of freshly ground coffee.
A little reminiscing on old friends. 
 
An emergency radio broadcast:
an escaped convict, at loose in the woods
hunting for a warm place to take shelter.

Ross Thompson
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Ross Thompson is a writer from Bangor, Northern Ireland. His debut poetry collection Threading The Light is published by Dedalus Press. His work has appeared on television, radio, short films and in a wide range of publications. Most recently, he wrote and curated A Silent War, a collaborative audio response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He is currently preparing a second full-length book of poems.