Only the Swan

September 23, 1998

Green and brown, the mallards

repeat the cattails' colors,

the leopard frog's, the marsh

turtle's. Even the water,

reflecting reeds, is green

and brown - all striped, streaked,

spotted, variegated.

Only

the swan, white as sun

dazzling slow water,

shuns camouflage, a vision

strange, whole, singular.