On an early evening paddle
timed perfectly
for sightings of beaver,
I point my kayak
toward a large tandem lodge,
slowly circle around it,
then sitting perfectly still,
my camera poised for action,
I wait for the loud signature
smack-splash of tail
or glimpse of a small bobbing head
with beady eyes
and shiny black nose.
Overfocused on these creatures,
I almost miss
what I wasn’t looking for,
floating
just beneath the sunlit surface,
chomped-off
gold and brown discarded branches,
with two dangling red-orange leaves
waving in the glistening abstraction
of watery distortion.
Taken aback,
I snap a picture
   of what I only saw
        after taking my eyes
                  off what I’d assumed
                                               was the prize.


From a forthcoming collection, Dual Impressions.
Used here with permission.

Photo credit: Joan Kantor