A warm pink night,
heavy with hazy air,
presses close to the senses
as the sun goes down.

No breeze drifts in,
only thickness,
a stubborn heat that clings.
The sky wears gray
with a faint wash of color,
as evening tips toward darkness.

On the grill door,
white twinkle lights
sparkle softly
small magic for the weary.

And on the terrace floor,
a beautiful white cat, marked in black and gray,
sprawls in search of comfort.
But the air offers nothing
only stillness,
and the hush of waiting.
For the cool down.