shot glass
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"... brevity is the soul of wit ..."
- William Shakespeare

Lisa Meserole


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Selleck's Woods Beside I-95

I sit on a boulder at lake's edge
to sirens, horns, and motorcycles' revving
as an osprey soars into view. He squares his 5-foot wingspan
to shape himself a parachute, then sails down feet first.
Eight dives he plunges into the water,
plus two surface skims and one last minute change of plans,
before a second osprey joins the fish hunt.
Over and over, every full-bodied effort denied,
I know this by the way they float in their failure.
But then they shake it off, dowse themselves in cold water
and pump their wings for lift off.
As they gain height, always a second shake mid-air,
the heaviness of water and regret flung off their feathers,
before they circle back around – hungry
to dive in again.