Lake Nokomis, June 2018
and this is it.
After repeatedly trying to avoid
eye contact with a trio of hairbands
settled at the bottom of the lake
I have decided ignorance is better.
I will believe
all that’s here
is me & water.
Me swimming.
Water wanting
to hold me up
help me glide
go about its business unnoticed
readying itself for splashing kids
boarding paddlers
diving ducks
floating bandaids
dearly missed nose plugs
easily replaceable hairbands
and whatever else
is planning to join us
in the lake.
By next week
the water will be opaque
light brown steel blue thick pea soup green
or on especially sunny days lentil dal yellow
and I won’t think
about what it contains.
I’ll rarely encounter a fish
only once step on a sharp steel something
and never again remember the multiplying hairbands
sadly scattered on the sandy floor.