spotted fishy wandering brook
leaning willow casts shade
mud and clay banks bake
August dries the shoreline ~

mosquito larva dart
evading crawdad claws
red and robust /
a dragonfly lights softly
metallic blue eye scans ~

death rattle of a male mourning dove
perched above passing perch
calling to a mate
that sits just beyond sound /
dusty wind floats lazily
carrying warmth
and the scent of marsh ~
decomposing ***** willows
melt into the muck
giving carp
tasty treats /