sometimes
i think about
lawn mowers
and those
(mostly men)
who are close to them
who know them well

we complain
but some of us
are a bit compulsive
manning the mowers
at very regular intervals
and feeling satisfied
at the helm

do lawn mowers
have souls?
why do some mowers purr
and others sound 
agitated or angry 
and roar?

some people mow
small sections at a time
others go round and round
the circumference of a large lot
and work their way to the middle

i worry about mowers.
we may never know
what trees and grasses
might grow around us
if mowers weren't around
keeping things so trim

and i remember grasshoppers
leaping in all directions
to avoid the blades and noise

but even as i worry
i too have a fondness
for lawn mowers
i confess