Tomorrow at sundown
When I step into the lake by myself
Playful little waves rush to my anxious feet
And the sun’s molten red glow
Greets my body in the stillness of the moment
As the lake and I rediscover each other
None touches the depths of our solitude
But dragonflies and see weeds
There I stand
Reflected in the water – not in your eyes
Leaning against the stillness of time
Untouched by your voice
Holding the ode to freedom – the predictable, over stretched, overused ode
To freedom – in my hands
And remold it in ways unforeseeable to my own fingers.
Later,
Singing crickets in trees around the lake
Have snatched my noisy thoughts
I am peace
And the water’s smooth crystal surface
Mirrors my perfect satisfaction
The lake and I have merged
With the melting darkness of the new night.
Later still,
The kids race to the motel’s big theatre
For their evening movies
And the line outside the ice cream stand is the longest.
I walk back to the cabin
With a towel in one hand
And a poem in the other.
August 1st, 2000