swans

Swans

Why swans ? like snowy barges on the lake
- or paper boats of whiteness , when the natural is beige
or tawny for protection
It is the adults that are white - they do not care -

It is no effort for them - they swim in mirey slime
then shake it off
and rise like waterlillies every time

But they are not the birds I love
I love the diving birds - the cormorants , black guillemots

If that is what they are , reptillians ,

That go in headfirst , out of sight ,
and search in muddy currents without light

And turn up soaked and have to dry their wings

A.G  07/05/2019