Poem & Story

Poem

Somewhere, up there,

There is blue sky.

The herons are content

To see their reflections

In the generous water

In which accumulates

The memories of trees

And resting frogs.

A Thoughtful Heron
11-18-16a
collage, mixed media

A heron had a conversation with a frog.

"You. You! You sleep all winter deep in the mud where no one can see you. All summer, I walk in the mud and hunt you."

The frog was silent for a while then it spoke to the heron.

"I like sleeping in the mud all winter. It makes my skin soft, you should try it sometime. I adapt and accept. This hibernation (or whatever you call it) is my Heaven. It is my dream state. The mud is everything. Without it you'd have no place to stand and hunt. Why, the river would have no bed. It would flow constantly, impoverished with no place to rest until it squandered itself in the ocean far away."

The heron was confused. Frogs! He spread his wings and swept off downriver in search of fish.

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