Water

Water

Sarah Klassen

Today’s entertainment comes
courtesy of two small diving ducks.
Their stage, a muddy river flanked by barren trees.
All morning they perform their non-stop act:
now you see us,
now you don’t.

How many times, you wonder
watching from the fourth floor window
must a bufflehead be baptized
and rebaptized
before it’s enough?

They rise from darkness into light
breasts gleaming whiter than snow.
Wing feathers shake off showers
of sparkling stars.

Some days you’ve had enough of being
entertained from spotlit platforms. Dizzying
lineups of celebrities decked out like heavenly bodies.
Five star back-up bands overspilling the screen.

Some days you want to rest your tired eyes
on water. Not this muddy river but a clear stream
shaded by willows. Water deep enough to cover you.
Deep enough to dive right in
and rise up
radiant.

---

Sarah Klassen
Poet

Sarah is a major Canadian poet who lives on the banks of the Red River in Winnipeg. Her most recent collections include Monstrance, and The Tree of Life, both from Turnstone Press.

Photography by Patrick Langwallner