Thin air

On the Saturday morning

before winter solstice,

you walk along the shore

watching squirrels chase

each others tail

up and down trunks of trees

leaping from tree to tree,

playing catch me if you can.

_____

One misjudges its abilities

and the distance between two trees,

grasps at nothing,

belly flops in chill water,

swims to shore,

rests for a moment on the bank

before it scurries up a trunk to resume

a game of catch me if you can.

_____

You push a dead limb from your path

and wonder if tomorrow,

the squirrel will even remember

the sting of failure on its belly

and believe the universe

will allow it to span the gap

between two trees

and land safely on the next branch.

12-19-22