That Morning At Lake Dorothy

He was boiling water, adding coffee,
its scent spreading an easy sense of comfort
and across the lake, a tree suddenly fell--
a quick sound splintering the fog
that drifted together again slowly
and steadily as the habit of loving,
like his hand pouring coffee, balancing the day.

Sibyl James' books include The White Junk of Love, Again, In China with Harpo and Karl, and The Adventures of Stour Mama. She teaches writing in the Seattle area.