so I nearly stepped on him
at least as close to
stepping on him as
I could walk on water
and he flew up
pteranadon wings wide
wider than my height
higher he flew to the far side
of the swamp
to become a stump
or indiscernible from one
but I made him out
from his plant partner
and was camera ready
until a mom-dad-bike-baby-cart
came bumping along
and sent his laboring wings through the humid air far far away again
now become
a
treetop
finial
still
and
silver
in
the
sunlight.
