“creekside picnic“
A bank slants toward late light,
grass pressed flat where the blanket settles.
Water shifts in a slow pattern,
small rings widening near the fallen branch.
A thermos rests in the shade,
its warmth fading into the ground.
Clothes lie in a loose heap near reeds,
one sleeve brushing dry earth.
Footsteps compress the bank,
and the surface adjusts around a quiet entry.
A breeze moves through the treeline,
lifting one corner of the blanket, then letting it fall.
Upstream, a faint sound carries,
not close enough to follow.
The day holds steady,
as if waiting for the next small change.
.
