Ankeny

4/12/20

Swallows skim the surface of the pond
	At Pintail Marsh, and dart away
		In all directions,
A cloud of geese starts up
	From a neighboring field
		The din exhilarating,
Sun finds a loophole in the overcast,
	Splashes of light illume the hills,
		Farms, and vineyards,
A storm is caught in the Coastal Range,
	Flanks frosted white,
		Peaks obscured,
A falcon preens in the stark branches
	Of a dead cottonwood by the water,
		And a soft rain
	Begins to fall,
Oregon’s magnificence reveals itself in silence,
	Its secrets are not secret, more readily
		Available, and obvious,
A hooded merganser displays to lure a mate,
	Really struts his stuff, an eagle circles
		Overhead, climbing.