In the sunshine

An elderly tramp, drinking coffee and basking in the sunshine outside Subway

greets me with a wave and a cheery, 'Mornin' darling'.

Spring

a thick drift of delicate pink petals

swirls in the eddy of a passing truck

Number 30

A newly build wall, with ornate wrought iron fence and gates.

A newly laid herringbone block-work driveway, no weeds or litter.

And yet the letterbox is held on with sellotape

People watching

Teenage boy with bag of stuff and a mobile phone

crosses the road, finishes his can of drink

and carefully places it on the wall outside number 20.

Turning round as he walks away he sees me watching him,

and has the decency to look a little sheepish.

Baby

No one else noticed, but

she saw me coming up the path

peered round the curtain

and smiled in recognition.

The perfect welcome