praise bright grass on the edge of saline water
praise rain dropping gently
boats drifting as birds follow
praise the halo of midges
praise muted desert tones fading into each other
gradient yellows and greens
praise the reverence of the duck hunter,
the promise of shared purpose
praise white pelicans
flowing through brisk desert wind
seven in formation
a jet flying above says hello
lake of life
lake of flight
salty, yes
lifeless, no.

On October 24th of 2021, a group of friends gathered to write at the brutalist picnic table on Owl Hill at the Farmington Bay bird refuge. Derek, Chandler, Denise, Cleve, & nan wrote into the dream they shared of gathering a community of lake-facing people.