Colorado Lagoon
After Mary Oliver
I pass a few early morning walkers--
silent nod. Small purple flowers
greet me as I approach the lagoon,
golden retriever galloping along
a small curve of sand. An egret stands
on one leg under the mossy bridge
as a duck pair glides by. One flaps,
gains speed and flies over the dock.
The other floats under. A fish splashes
out of the water to catch flies.
The park is clean, no debris.
I glance at my screen, murky
with Americans protesting
science, sweaty mouths spitting.
I throw grief into the current.
One part of the story is algae.
Another part follows me home
like a shadow, my throat closing,
then opening. The geese know
when to fly, land, rest—and when
it’s time to honk like all hell,
stretching an alarm across the sky.
I pass a few early morning walkers--
silent nod. Small purple flowers
greet me as I approach the lagoon,
golden retriever galloping along
a small curve of sand. An egret stands
on one leg under the mossy bridge
as a duck pair glides by. One flaps,
gains speed and flies over the dock.
The other floats under. A fish splashes
out of the water to catch flies.
The park is clean, no debris.
I glance at my screen, murky
with Americans protesting
science, sweaty mouths spitting.
I throw grief into the current.
One part of the story is algae.
Another part follows me home
like a shadow, my throat closing,
then opening. The geese know
when to fly, land, rest—and when
it’s time to honk like all hell,
stretching an alarm across the sky.
Amateur Naturalist Learning
Nancy Lynée Woo is a poet, community organizer, and 2022 Artists at Work fellow. She has also received fellowships from PEN America, the Arts Council for Long Beach, and Idyllwild Writers Week. Her work has been published in The Shore, Tupelo Quarterly, Stirring, Radar Poetry, and other journals and anthologies. Nancy has an MFA in creative writing, poetry, from Antioch University and a BA in sociology/environmental studies from UC Santa Cruz. Her work is largely inspired by the magic and power of the natural world. Find her cavorting around Long Beach/Tongva, California, and online at nancylyneewoo.com or @fancifulnance on social.