She remains by the riverbank

She remains by the riverbank,

notes from her bagpipes lapping

crosswise over to us as we pause

for the activity light to change.

She doesn't know we hear—

she is playing to the stream,

a melody for the water, the stream

of an obscure song to the rough

feigns past, for the fog

that was toward the beginning of today, cover

of past lives: anglers

furthermore, riverboat players, tugboat commanders

furthermore, log raftsmen, pioneer and local

sneaking past the whirlpools of time.

She plays for them all, both requiem

furthermore, surging psalm, for what has passed

furthermore, is going as we slip

into the streams of activity,

the changed light bearing us away.