Beside The Frozen Lake I Stand

Beside the frozen lake I stand And from the bank my eyes are drawn Across the surface still as glass The blue of mirrored sky, As ice does rest upon the swag The lapwing walks the stony shore And turns the pebbles one by one In search of worm and fly. I hear the call of distant gulls For there a flock has settled where The cracks have formed and water seeps And gentle sun does shine, While mallards cast their longing eyes Towards me as I throw some bread Then coots the swans and geese arrive To form a grateful line. And there they wait till I've no more It breaks my heart to leave them so Upon the ice they vainly stand And watch me walk away, Past the thorn and tree so bare I cross the grass where shadows fall So long and dusted by the frost That lingers through the day.