Take a Tern



The lake below now has an icy crust

Cold enough to form ... but not, to trust

For, in parts, the water is clear to see

Merging with patches of ice, rippling free



But hard enough to have formed a slide

Allowing a rubber ball to just glide

Instead of coming to halt at water's edge

The yellow orb just skated on - a good test



Finally, coming to a rest, two-thirds of the way

Across the crusty glass surface - but, as clear as day

But, too far out to reach without going under

(The ball just might now have met its day of thunder)



It became of interest to some passing terns 

Who all flew on down and alighted on the stern

(The ice crust had formed in dual layers at rear)

Never-the-less - they trotted close to the hard sphere



The birds were light enough not to have any trouble

Except one loner ... who had avoided the rubble

And, after a few minutes, the tern suddenly sank

But, after a flutter of wings, it quickly came back



Then, the gull moved swiftly across the thin ice-paper

Bemusing itself - on having survived the caper ...

And then - with a half-a-dozen friends, did approach

For the hard rubber ball was foreign to their rote ...



Then - the terns all circled the small yellow orb

But none of them went near enough to absorb

They just stood on the thin ice, encircling it well

Apparently, guarding it - from what I could tell ...



Cries then went out to all of the birds at once

Begging just one of them to go near and pounce

Picking it up in its beak and then flying to my shore

Thence, to drop it in waiting hands - a thought so very pure ... 



But - it happened - only in my mind, not in my eyes

For the terns were still and waiting patiently by their prize

Perhaps knowing ... if only one of them - would advance to the ball ...

So will all the others ... and their combin'd weight ... just might drown them all ...



- Tristram



© Christopher W. Thomas

5:30pm Sat. Jan. 8th, 2000