It is a hazy day at the dock
There is a Senior Boat Excursion
Departing, as I walk along the wooden boards

There is the scent of sunscreen under my nose
A light breeze
I can smell the blues, greys and greens

Now, I am alone
As alone as I care to be
As Oskar tugs on the leash

I always thought it odd
To see a California seagull floating over
A Minnesota lake

Is the gull far from home
Like me?
Did he also fly such a distance for love?

Oskar checks on my writing
He tries to take the pen from my hand
Maybe to describe something he smells

It is muted, subtle, gentle
The colors, the sounds, the air
Like my thoughts, restful

I can feel the rain nearby
Like one can feel another person
Standing close, just listening

As a boat passes by, churning water
Another disappears
As some fears disappear
While the lake laps at my shoreline