after Adrienne Rich

fox danced between me
and the very still water headed north
past geese and white-beaked
birds leaving V’s in the water, far from

the cocker spaniel five minutes
before or lighted towers
brightening our left sides as we risky
walked beneath darker skies,

I felt the opaque absence of fear for her
closer billowed rough tail and dark mimicking rings
so I stood taller, still, and watched as long
and large fox danced her solitary way
through a city built despite her.