Outside my picture window

To the left, you can just see the Northwest corner of the graveyard.

To the right, a young couple is walking down the street, pushing their newborn in a stroller.

At the bottom is a baby rabbit, hidden and fed by the grass I haven’t mowed yet.

At the top, I can just make out the lower branches of a tree where a hungry owl nests during the day.

Centered in the background is a group of children playing in their backyard. I see jump ropes and baseballs.

Centered in the foreground is a drug deal going down in the street. A young white girl gets out of her car as an older black man gets out of his. They meet between the cars with hands outstretched. Her green is folded; his is rolled. It’s a smooth transaction, with no fumbling or hesitation. They’ve done this before.

Birth. Death. Predator. Prey. Innocence. Cynicism. All framed within a rectangle of glass.

(Still) Life.