A Moment Stopped

Water droplet imprints
on my glasses
The sky swollen with 
dark gray clouds
I smile
Inside my heart dances
as mist washes away
the drabness 
and consistency 
of life

The slats sigh
resistance
as I step onto 
the boardwalk
Ripples on the lake
slap each other
as they run away
from raindrops

Drought exposed
thick, soft muck
lines the bank
Colorful leaves create
underwater paintings

A mallard and his mate
swim closer
then away
then closer
looking for food,
unable to decide if
I am a threat

A small muskrat
swims away from 
the silt plume
created by the spring
rushing to feed
the bathtub lake,
a hollow fallen tree
his home

Unexpected pleasure
amidst the busy
Accepting the gift
I stop