#3

Picnic at Cathy's Pond

And finally
after they had settled upon the spot
the right flowers and light
the right direction

they sat
beneath the grand umbrella
sometimes in the rain
sometimes in the sun
the day winking all about them
summer laughing in her completeness
bursting to tell her secrets too
with these 'wise women.'

when it was time
the clothes were abandoned
and the two entered the pond
with the rain drops
how natural to lie about
what a way to spend a day, 
one said.

later, after the rain
their talk still deep and round like the moon
they sat held
in the chair, naked
holding onto words
and listening ears

the pond, still now
in that place of waiting
pretending to be glass
holding its breath

two turtles emerged
heads lifting just above the surface
reaching
their necks
to float there
without any ripples.

without them none of this would be possible

their slow dance
through the water
reminding us
to forget all these notions
to set down the ideas
and worries
to look around
and float.


-Llora H. Kressmann