Prompt: The sound of a garden hose

The sound of a garden hose can be hissing, gurgling, gushing, drip drip dripping, trickling, bubbling, fountainous. But the sound of the sprinklers starts with the timer. First, there's the sudden clank, that generally puts one on guard. Then, a dull quickening pulse, as if the walls themselves have started and the heart of the house is now beating fast. Around its perimeter, various stations get in line. A is at the back, where the windows must be closed lest the spray from the pop-ups enters through the screens. Following A is B, two minutes later. You can hear the roses sigh, as the bubblers cool their thorny trunks. Station C is more remote, but does its duty for an allotted pair of moments, rejuvenating and plumping, keeping brittleness at bay. By the time D has its say, the clanking pulse has dimmed a bit, the house now remembering what all this fuss is about and settling back into its verdant nest. E is more patient, but just as relentless as the cohort before it. Tasked with the final responsibility of ending the cycle, it finishes with a sigh near where the hose lies coiled, quietly watching with its one dry eye.