The evening had by now arrived
Yet he remained, lying on his chest
In a panicked state of high alarm
An unbroken state of primal fear
A vague view of the cliff’s sharp edge
Was the limit of his sight
The dread portal to gruesome death
From falling from the slippery edge
In the early morn, a young blond child
Out harvesting blooms for her new red vase
Came upon the trembling man
Thus immobile, on the rocky ground
“Are you O.K.?” the child inquired
He shouted “Alarm!” “Keep away from the cliff!”
“I don’t understand,” replied the child…
That’s the east edge of the lily pond.
-p.
Leonard N, Shapiro, 9/14/24. Kingston, N.Y.
plinyblogdotcom 