above the brook’s surface,
as thought insinuates
itself past itself,
and petals escape eddies
to slip downstream
like small silent ships
without consequence,
here, on the rock’s face,
a sheen of mist,
far into the afternoon,
clings to shadows
folded within crevices
like secret notes
tucked furtively
into a back pocket
before she walks away
(February 25, 2018)
subtext 