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)