Observations During My Morning Walk

There is a house in my neighborhood with a big pine tree in the front yard. At the foot of the tree is a garden filled with shrubs, flowers, a small decorative statue or two, and a rusty watering can.

The house is dark gray with white shutters. Its mossy, black shingles were replaced last autumn. The front door was painted burgundy last summer. Before winter arrived, there were two vehicles parked in the driveway. By January, only a white Honda remained.

Last week, the 17 year old boy who lived in that house put his head in a noose. The neighbors heard his mother's screams when she found him. It seems he could not cope with his parents' divorce or his girlfriend's plans to move on without him--so the neighbors say.

There is a house in my neighborhood with a big pine tree in the front yard. At the foot of the tree is a garden filled with floral arrangements, photographs, poems, and a rusty watering can overflowing with rainwater.