square peg

the peaceful drift of weekend

mornings moves fallen leaves

to the edge of the water the

protein foam holds on dearly

to rocks and branches come

to rest until motion becomes

inevitable again volition never

comes into play as some of the

dead become caught up in it

all

(waxed paper peeled a bite

is taken and chewed while

her feet continue to be wet

immersed to her ankles no

more no less at once she is

taken by form and substance

digested thoughtfully and

re-deposited upon a rock she

has come to love)

it is never the same but it

never changes

(her upstream foot emerges

and she points with her toes

sweeping the other shore line

in demure fashion considering

her skirt)

there may be new litter trapped

in the eddy or one limb may be

washed away but another comes

in its stead there are birds and

fish and insects who see us right

now and it may be the last thing

that they see others the first i am

certain that we were not the first

to sit upon this rock coffee and

sammiches balanced on knees

with an approximation of love

bringing us back here wearing

this boulder smooth

(her foot back at rest the cool

of the river licking her toes her

ankles occasionally daring to

touch her calf they sit silently

letting it all settle in their guts

the sun finds a break in the

swamp maple umbrella she

arches her back and neck

pushing her face into the

white-hot eyes closed)

shhhh can you hear it

the first locust of summer will

usually die before mating the

fashionably late do so much

better

(the other laughs it is a deeply

mature expression void of

judgement in a lush woman’s

baritone)

when i am quiet and when i am

here i feel that i can see it all

creation decay time and i want

to cry because it is so incredibly

beautiful and i also want to cry

because it is all so terribly deadly

(she turns and makes eye

contact)

so terrifying

(the other looks down at the water

and then back at her)

i must be stupid

i don’t see any of it

i’ve heard people say that before

and i just don’t get it

(she smiles and wiggles her toes

in the water ripples making each

look large and then small and then

repeating the process until she was

able to feel it inside)

that’s too bad

or not

(she stills herself sitting

much of her just left)

good coffee

(she smirks)