By John Delaney

Somewhere between ‘oh, no’ and ‘oh, well’
the verdict falls: you won’t have any kids.

I watched a show on endangered penguins
that yearly breed in a South African town
and make their nests among residents’ homes,
under shrubs and hedges, off of side streets.

One pair of newlyweds chose a culvert
with a protective concrete ceiling.
But then, a sudden summer downpour
came rushing through, forcing them down the hill.

When they got back, their nest and eggs were gone.
Disabused of their parental notion,
they briefly reassessed, then waddled off.
It was a long walk back to the ocean.

Copyright Delaney 2022