Lake

Very short story about a lake.

From a ripple in the cool water, 
a turtle emerged to rest upon a warm stone;
stretching her neck to capture the heat of late morning;
undisturbed by the small splash of a fish 
striking a shadow from beneath the surface, 
as the sun surrendered to the growing clouds
 and the day softened with a cool breeze.

Above, dragonflies gathered, promising rain;
and in the distance, seeming a whisper of the horizon,
the rumbling of thunder.

And so, the clouds relaxed their grip;
Sending a sheet of rain roiling across the mirror of the lake.
The thunder grew to a constant rolling;
Broken by sharp cracks,
as jagged lightning shattered tree
Or an unlucky deer antler.

Author's Note

Let me know what you think.

Reviews

[Einstein Noodle]

love the turtle :) scene is gently conjured for me ... interesting that as the storm approached i still held that tranquility ... no doubt is left as to its power tho ... i had an experience that put such a crack of lightening on a tree out front of our home ... you can see where it tracked down the tree and exploded bark all over the ground ... not sure about the deer and antler ... i think i may need to come back and read again .. maybe its the humor i see in it .. or the unlikeliness of that happening in contrast to the reality and very relatable scene ... hmmmmmm anyway ... i have to say again .. love that turtle ... i felt almost like i could be him :)
E.

[mattavelli]

Hey, Einstein, thanks for reading! :)
I've always liked turtles, kept some as pets when I was growing up. They're very simple creatures, easy to bring to life with few words. Aye, the deer in the lightning is my bad sense of humor. My wife keeps me quiet in public. Haha

[Einstein Noodle]

ahahahaha ...its always wise to listen to our wives ;)))))))))))))))

[Coyote Poetry]

I liked the description of the place. Brought to life in vision. Wild and free place. Thank you for sharing the excellent poetry.
Coyote

[Roland Petrov]

Very lovely descriptive piece. I was there by the lake as I read this. Never thought of deer antlers as conduits for lightning! That's got to be a shocking experience! Unlike this prose, which I will call sublime.

[mattavelli]

Thank you, Roland. Yes, the deer have it bad. They need a Rambo.