Pond

walking the circle
mud finds the felt
inside your boots
walking the circle
you find the red
sun in the brown
face of the water
walking the circle
in your revolution
you lose the red
sun in the brown
face of the water
though you know
it has not stopped
it has continued
being red the sun
walking the circle
near as far as one
can walk before
one has begun
again you find
the moon white
in the same brown
face of the water
clouds maturing
purple in the brown
face of the water
and you keep it
white the moon
you do for a while
walking the circle
mud is the felt
inside your boots
chorus of throats
walking the circle
you find the red
sun in the black
face of the water
walking the circle
so revolutionary
bats mad diving
you lose the red
sun in the black
face of the water
though you know
it will not stop
it will continue
being sun in some
watered face if
not this obscuring
one of the water
which holds now
witnesses in the
sense of mammal
eyes witnessing
walking the circle
near as far as you
had walked before
beginning one
again you find
the white moon
in the black face
face of the water
and you keep it
and you keep it
the air near dark
and for how long
can you keep it

____
Doug Parents lives in Alabama.