The Forest Lake

Above, skies of blue and
white comforters in free float,
echoed in the mirror of the
placid surface of the lake,
within the summer forest.
A place of serene beauty
is that lake, and its
sheltering woods. Lazy, fat
tadpoles await their watery
green transformation, and
clouds of tiny fish obediently
school themselves to crowd
the water in orderly formation.
Turtles rise to the surface,
the sun glancing gently on
their portable homes. A great
blue heron spreads its vast wings
and flies wide and languorously
over the forest lake, one end
to the other, to settle among
sheltering pines, and preens.