After the reunion’s excess
of company and champagne,
just the two of us ease
the canoe into the pond.
September’s leaves light lamps
around us; we paddle
into gold suffusion as if
entering a ripe pear.
Our blades low, we lean
and listen—the surface insects
hectic, the cool still depths.
A pair of wood ducks squawks
away. The fruity air softens,
darkening, as one by one
the reeds extend themselves
exactly by reflection.
– Candice Stover
Postscript:
A surfeit of socializing and gatherings can make you want to get away to a quiet, still place and find yourself again. The natural beauty is a bonus, but the solitude is definitely a needed balm.
This poem is one I came across on a site called Words from the Frontier – Poetry in Maine. You can read more about the poet, Candice Stover, there; you can also hear her read some of her poems out loud, including this one, in a little media player in the bottom right hand corner of the page.
Tagged: Candice Stover, contemplative, imagery, nature