Outback Afternoon

The breeze coaxes

the windows open:

Windows as large as doors;

Windows as small as Nana’s china blue

dinner plates;

Windows of rainbow coloured glass

covered with trees and angels;

Windows frosted, so you can’t see through them,

textured and light grey.

The breeze beckons the windows open

creak

squeak

knock, knock.

The breeze doesn’t care if they are latched

lifted,

or pushed out

as long as

they open.

The breeze remembers when

windows had no glass

and were just open squares in

the walls and there was no air conditioning.

The breeze knows that some windows

are so clean and clear

that when they are closed

clueless birds fly into them.

Splat!

Whoosh!  Ha, ha!

The breeze chuckles its cooling fresh breath

through open windows

into the outback houses

wishing for the end of summer.

© June Perkins

• Submitted in response to Poetry Prompt #6