Morning in the Bay

Kenneth Reimer

A literal watercolour,
the reflections of trees
stretch from the opposite shore
in elongated pastel smudges –
a palette of muted greens
with thumb smears of black
that mark the dark spaces
between branches. 
The weathered bone trunk
of a dead fir
becomes a line of dramatic white.

Above the liquid sky,
a bird swims across the bay,
trailing a long, thin line
of diminishing light. 

A gull calls out
and then answers its own cry,
the flight of white wings
above dark water. 

The smooth canvas
is rippled by a surfacing fish,
crafting widening circles
of concentric darkness and light. 

Then the rising sun
ignites the mountainside –
a wide, horizontal ribbon
of shifting amber light
brushed wide beneath misted clouds
that obscure a rock-crowned summit. 

With thumping wings,
a midnight raven
settles nearby –
the scratch of talons on bark. 

Wreathed in an emerald blur,
a purring hummingbird
spears dripping nectar. 

A sleeping boat rumbles awake,
unties the lines of dreams,
then, bleary-eyed,
makes its way out
toward the open water.

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Kenneth Reimer
Kenneth D. Reimer lives on the Canadian Great Plains with his wife, Lisa, and a cat named Nazca who likes to bite him on the leg. He has three degrees, including a Master’s in English, and has spent decades working as an educator. He enjoys meditation, and whenever possible, he travels the world and attempts to record its wonders. His favourite art form is the short story, but he enjoys writing non-fiction and poetry. When inspiration strikes, he takes on the challenge of longer fiction, ranging from novelettes to novels. Zero Time, his novel of time travel, is available on Amazon. Samples of his other writing can be viewed at KennethDReimer.com. Some of his spoken poetry can be found on YouTube at the Kenneth D. Reimer channel.