Second last day with nephew in town
and we’re back at the lake.

One yet Pacific black duck,
eight janjarak black-winged stilts,
one swan, surprisingly,
standing in water with beak
tucked back in upon itself.

At one point kwirlam the 
swamphens scatter
back into the reeds.
I think raptors.
And sure enough two appear 
to the north,
circling around one another.

We’re getting to the deeper levels 
of caring for places.
Next day, last day, with nephew
and my wife.
A handful of janjarak left, 
one yet there yet,
two swans now.

We talk about where this is all going—
from the side of the beginning,
from the other side.
Both directions,
both streams converging
on the same love;
on the same world love;
on the same spirit of the Earth
as a whole,
that finds itself
in us.