Marc Swan

Marc Swan’s latest collection, all it would take, was published in 2020 by tall-lighthouse (UK). Poems forthcoming in Speckled Trout Review, Gargoyle, Naugatuck River Review, among others. He lives in coastal Maine with his wife Dd, a maker and yoga teacher. In these viral times, the days are filled with hikes, kayaking and river walks. today can take your breath away is available from Sheila-Na-Gig Editions: https://sheilanagigblog.com/sheila-na-gig-editions-quick-shopping/marc-swan/

October on the Harraseeket

Slowly lifting one spindly leg,
dropping it, lifting the other,
dropping it, stalking
with lightning strikes
the dagger-like bill nabs pogies
and other prey on mud flats
at low tide. White egrets,
terns and a small flock of gulls
keep their distance intent
on finding their own food supply.
I am on a public dock
three doors from my home
on an Indian summer day.
Heat has settled, traffic is light,
locals walk in pairs to the riverside.
In these uncertain times,
the stream of life continues.
What next I ask the wind?
I contemplate that long-legged
wading bird who returns
each year from his southern
home   fishing alone.