Not Yet a Swan Song

I thought that I had lost a swan.

Viewed through the window
And across the lake
They sailed there mornings
On most fine days
As a threesome of waterfowl
Forming a triptych
Hinged in their beauty,
Into my vision such
Clouds upon the water,
Joy upon the heart.
 
But then one was gone
So it seemed
And out of kilter was my new view,
A rowboat plying with but one oar.
The remaining pair flew low and muted
Across the ice covered lake
Whistling for their vanished friend
Or so it seemed.
And I counted down their loss and mine
As the way of the world both harsh and cold
Which sometimes snatches up
Such beauty and promise
Rendering forever
The goodness from their lives.
 
But then I saw on this grey dark day
Found, not lost the triplet!
Gliding across the distant way
And still within our visual bond
Pallid and strong against the breeze
And so it seems
What was lost is now found
Whose return required nothing more
Than fidelity
Which is to say:
Have faith and hope,
Let’s wait and see.