Reward

Reward

Tired and hungry, late in the day, impelled 

to leave the house and search for what 

might lift me back to what I had fallen away from, 

I stood by the shore waiting. 

I had walked in the silent woods: 

the trees withdrew into their secrets. 

Dusk was smoothing breadths of silk 

over the lake, watery amethyst fading to gray. 

Ducks were clustered in sleeping companies 

afloat on their element as I was not 

on mine. I turned homeward, unsatisfied. 

But after a few steps, I paused, impelled again 

to linger, to look North before nightfall - the expanse 

of calm, of calming water, last wafts 

of rose in the few high clouds. 

And was rewarded: 

the heron, unseen for weeks, came flying 

wide-winged toward me, settled 

just offshore on his post, 

took up his vigil. 

                        If you ask 

why this cleared a fog from my spirit, 

I have no answer.

- Denise Levertov

I relate to Levertov's poem this week as I had my spirit lifted by a stay at Birdsong Cottage.

CPW