ice recedes
the solid white
pocks, goes white to gray
gray to film to puddled
puddled to lace
between river rock bottom & ice top
a melt hole grows
a dark space shows
cold winter air
ice above, water below
silent ice loosens to chortling water
yellow pebbles
water-churned rocks & stones
melt hole joins melt hole
ice recedes
land wears no more snow
no more winter
river water as cold as ice
the river ice is half gone, a white
field punctured by dark holes
lace edged, daily longer & wider
thick slabs undercut with melt
shallow chuckling water ripples
over yellow stones, rubs & rives
at fallen trees, worn boulders
invisible fish, & newts, frog spawn
skims, & stopping to drink, a fisher
a bobcat, brown bear & deer,
raccoon & skunk, rabbit & mouse
turkey & grouse, all those whose
prints would name them, were
humans outdoors, but they’re not
