Lady of the lake

On the far side of water

twenty feet from shore

she stood looking at me look at her

looking at me look at her…

wondering why I came each morning

and stood in the same place

counting the name of God

five times on each knuckle.

I wondered why she was not

standing knee deep in water.

Maybe she was not hungry,

maybe she was tired of raw fish,

maybe it was the pair of mallards frolicking

like newly weds in a hotel pool,

maybe there was no reason.

Suddenly, she ran towards me

spread her wings

tucked her legs and flew.

Behind her a feral cat

stopped running – dejected,

unaware of his good fortune

that she flew instead of fought.

1-28-23