You appear to glide
secret keeper of the third world
swim beneath leaves scattered about the water’s surface
second world of debris and decay
yet never decaying
memory pressed between time’s pages
destined never to disintegrate
while you
huge
wide-eyed
would slide beneath hibernating trees’ reflections
the first world
ours before the next
deciduous by nature
where all goes bare to grow again
unlike us in ours
in some time beyond this moment
never reached ever
freezing portrait
capture of anticipation
renewal
that winning near the goal
yet never renewed
joy and sorrow’s meld
chartered in this single frame
so much of art
the double moment hung
the infinite holding of breath
the forever of never
Lanning Lee 