Swan Song

Winding down the hill to the lowlands
	Of Ankeny, flanks of the coast range
Whitened, a sky of broken clouds filled 
	With portent, but rain intermittent.

There were a thousand geese at the back 
	Of Pintail Marsh, supple shadows in dim 
 Afternoon light. Ducks lined the shore and
	Traced trails across the pond, startled 
By eagles. In the rushes by the entrance
	To the channel lay one dead swan,
A Tundra Swan, and in the shallows 
	By the tracks, two more.

February 7, 2025