Jenness Pond, New Hampshire

by Lauraine Alberetti Lambara

Sweet pond water ripples toward the shore,

calling me into the cool, spring-fed delight

of crystal clear ablution.

Soon the summer visitors will arrive and the water,

calm as glass in early morn, will begin to rush to and fro

as the current pulls boaters and swimmers with it.

But now, at dawn, men and women, alone or by twos, are silent,

engrossed in meditative stance in their boats, holding fishing poles.

Their quiet passage by the dock surprises me.

It is time to pray, to ponder, to plan,

with no interruptions to the serious centering of self.

Only the mournful loon breaks the silence.