others are rowing across the lake
and I am eating bread, trying out
being neutral in company but I can’t

so I walk off into the tall reeds
I live here now, a grinning deity
in the sunset bats hunt over water

my mouth opens to let butterflies
bring back the missing, along roads
tangled under the water—

I’m curbing the tendency to end
this moment where it is, between
a green hairstreak and arson

I know that we’ve wasted time
in play but I’m teasing you
please, bring the boat back in