attention

i thought it was quiet here
at first. sitting on the grass,
enjoying the slight breeze,
my body slowly warming 
in the sun. 
                   but there
is never really silence. 

i hear the pop of tennis ball
meeting racket, the rumble
of skateboard wheels 
on paved paths, the constant 
distant whirr of vehicles
driving on hidden roads.
there are low murmuring voices 
behind trees, the random
cheep cheep cheep of birds, 
the erratic rhythms
of basketballs, the squeak
and squeal of a bike chain
desperately in need of lube. 

and then my own breathing.
suddenly deeper as i realize
how much is constantly moving
in and out of my life; 
how little attention i pay
to the little things, 
how often i forget to listen
to anything at all.