Blue Heron  

standing in the shallows: 

Stick legs 

Knot knees 

Twig toes 

 

Do you always have one leg raised 

Or is that the way I want to picture you? 

 

The way your body curves 

Into your long neck 

Curls into your head 

Pointing with your beak. 

 

Immobile elegance 

Poised to strike 

Pierce 

Capture 

Eat 

 

Immobile elegance 

Still 

Outside of time 

 

Do you always fly by yourself? 

You are solitary  

But  

The steady, slow wing pace 

Makes me think you are flying in place 

Makes me think you don’t know alone 

 

When you are above me 

You are so many things 

A seamless assembly of geometry 

Cylindrical  

Linear 

Curved 

Body 

Legs 

Wings 

 

Straight and curling 

Never bent or crooked  

You are dignity  

 

Except that one time: 

I surprise you in the small pond 

So close to the trail 

My hiker quiet feet don’t warn you 

Anna’s dog-pad paws hush on the packed dirt 

 

You jump up, water thunder wing crash 

But 

The trees are close around you 

The escape angle steep 

Up 

You labor, heavy strokes 

Slap the air 

Unsteadily ascend 

Somehow find a hole in the canopy 

Escape from me 

With my hand reached out toward you 

Trying to bring you back 

And 

It’s too late let to tell you that I love you