A well-known trail sits just behind
The street that we live on,
And at the bottom, you can find
A path to reach a pond.
And there, upon her rightful throne,
A swan swims soft and slow,
Where in her home, she lives alone,
This swan, I've come to know.
Her slender neck and feathered wings
Attire is pure and white,
Small eyes like beads; their sharpness brings
Her sight in day or night.
I watch her gentle, graceful glide,
With burdens not revealed,
Her regal ruse still seems to hide
A loneliness concealed.
What’s covered up by beauty’s gift?
Has calmness killed her fight?
Do troubles drown beneath her drift?
Will she again take flight?
A natural need to mate for life,
I fear her mate’s passed on.
She glides along this pond in strife,
A lovely lonely swan.
But take no pity on this queen,
Her strength she cannot mask,
Beneath the water's tranquil sheen,
She's surging with a task.
The stillness in her wandering,
As ripples rise, I wonder,
Her poise provokes a pondering
Of fervent efforts under.
Some things are not as they appear,
Some surfaces hide battles,
To simply sit on ponds, swans bear
A need for frantic paddles.
When troubles come, stay on the path-
Think of our existence,
If everyone had just one half
Of a swan's persistence.
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Author Notes
I took this picture while at The Supply Pond Natural Preserve located where we live, in Branford Connecticut.
The trails wind around the ponds and through the forested areas of the preserve; one is quite literally behind our home. The middle of the trailĂ¢??s loop is even accessible (though not permitted) through our backyard.
It has become our go-to spot for running, hiking, exploring with the kids, or just spending a free moment quietly at the pond.
The swan pictured here lives at the center pond- my daughters and I have come to eagerly anticipate seeing her and often wonder about her life. We have only ever seen her alone, and there have yet to be any signs of a nest.
However, my neighbor shared with me that there used to be a pair of swans frequently spotted together in this very pond.
She was a worthy muse.
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