the prehistoric glacial kettle pond sat

there like a sorceress--her bent mirror

pulled at your guts.

bored by the freezing spell--as one would

a predictable lover, her twisted mood

kept ice on ice.

the wetness of cruel enticements blew

blue smoke over its humiliated

seriousness.

as the afternoon paraphrastically

butchered a Bible verse, mallards

untaped their bills in gaseous protest.

the treed hills that sunk at the sight of

her, resounded a chopping block

earthiness.

then a schmear of seagulls undid their

bony gate, as for insurance purposes

above.

when a bench's favorite bench took down

sunset's late cancelation.