i paddle along the lake’s edge
where the wild grasses grow
broken branches guard the shore
from intrepid explorers
tangled in the swampy strands
descending deep into the water
i wonder what the darkness hides
that the muck has claimed its own
you retreated into hiding
a submersion of solitude
while i above watch the water
for ripples of resurfacing
lest you be lost at sea
4.22.17