The narrow serpentine path 
a doodle on the body of a lake 
thoughts run ahead of footsteps 
winding their way by routine

just yards away another world
dawn hesitant among the trees 
to and fro glide waterbirds through
early mists the lake generates

the rule here is: one species, one sound
coots perform the single click "tut"
ducks and drakes for their ready patter
opt for mere rasping quacks

with this plain and simple vocabulary 
subtle comedies of society play out 
both pleasant and harsh episodes
for scraps of feather and beady eye

a high-speed kingfisher's visitation  
electrifies and at the edge
a stealthy heron earns his rapt review
in this moment outside the clockwork schedules

in this breath of enriched air before work begins
a robin jumps to confront the short-cut walker
and sees him off
his status as alien maintained