she's a lonely lady lying
afloat atop the lake

she bobs,
stares at clouds 

hears the cow-bell 
by the buoy
tingle

thoughts of sinking

feels her back upon down
pulled by a pillow or a bed
wet all around...

but instead she stands
alongside shells by the shore

checks the horizon, 
breathes deeply

the moist air, 
not water

this time

cc: Chagall 2021