The Lilies of the Black Ponds

The Lilies of the Black Ponds

for Susan Deborah King

In a moment between getting dressed
and my morning commute
I sat at the edge of my bed

And for some reason my hand
reached to the bedside table and drew out
Mary Oliver's book from the stack.

The page opened to this verse:

        "Who doesn't love
        roses, and who
        doesn't love the lilies
        of the black ponds"

In an instant my mind flew
open to a place I know
where lilies grow in wild, still water

And several days later, not long after dawn
I sat unhurried, drifting through wild lilies.

Their pads were tethered by slack tapers
to the rich, soft, soil
and all that lies below it.

~ Hal

Confluence

Confluence

This time of year, I always hear them before I see them. In the 

late afternoon when I'm working in the yard I hear their unmistakable 

honking. I look up at my patch of sky, hoping their flight path will 

bring them low over our house. Every now and then it does.

Lately I've been getting reacquainted with Kinnickinnic State Park. 

When we first moved to River Falls I used to go there to watch the 

sunrise before my morning commute. A couple of days ago I had 

some time after work and decided to pay a visit.

I got to the park after the sun had set. The river (which only a few 

months ago was crawling with boats) was perfectly still. As I walked 

the shoreline where the Kinnickinnic and St. Croix meet, I heard 

these geese behind me. I managed to turn around just in time to witness 

their formation flying downstream over the St. Croix River valley.

~ Hal