Stock photo

This is an old poem, thought lost, but recently recovered.  A real memory.

Haibun: Bobcat On The Cartercay

Drifting on a jade current slow as this August day; the erratic clunk of oar-gunnel collide complements mosquito’s whine and only a raucous call of  Dryocopus pileatus startles me back from my innocuous memory glide.  My fingers, trailing through the cool water, paint splendid, ephemeral works of art. Verdant spillings of laurel, fern, jeweled weeds and clinging vines tumbling from tracked banks, glossy with malodorous mud, narrow and crook my creek canvas.  Around a turn so slight and he is there; we both, mid-creek, suddenly aware and he, swinging around, retraces his eddying path.  Reaching the right bank, he emerges with a rippling shake and his stare follows me ….me, staring with wonder, drifting by, while his eyes, softly intent, expressed no surprise, no reproach I can discern.  None at all.  Now turning, unhurriedly….one step….two….into the dappled green tangle and he is gone…..like a thought lost; his image in my mind instantly vague, generic… swirling by.

obliviously

intended prey   a drake bobs

summer’s shallow shade

Bobcat

Drifting on a jade current slow
as the August day..…. the erratic
clunk of oar/gunnel collide
complemented mosquito whine
and only the raucous call of
Dryocopus pileatus startled me
from an innocuous memory glide.

Verdant spillings of laurel, fern,
jeweled weeds and clinging vines
narrowed the creek from tracked banks
glossy with malodorous mud.

Around a turn so slight and he was there;
we both, mid-creek, suddenly aware….and
swinging around, he reached the right bank
emerging with a shake; his stare, void
of any emotion I could discern,
followed me ….me staring with wonder.
His eyes, softly intent, expressed no reproach.
Then turning, unhurriedly….one step
….two….into the dappled tangle,
he was gone…..like a thought lost;
his image instantly vague and generic.

A drake, his intended prey,
bobbed the left shallows obliviously.