One Small Part
Reeds block the view of the river,
create their own view. The river
of grass bends with each breath
of the wind. A heron’s neck bends,
revealing what was already there,
as it pulls a fish from the water,
brushing a cattail. Tufts separate,
drift through the air on currents
only they can see, follow a path
that takes them to the river
that nourishes the reeds that are
one small part of the river.
Ken Gierke is a Pushcart Prize Nominee who is retired and writes primarily in free verse and haiku. His poetry has been published or is forthcoming in print and online in such places as Poetry Breakfast, Ekphrastic Review, Amethyst Review, Silver Birch Press, Trailer Park Quarterly, Rusty Truck, The Gasconade Review, and River Dog Zine. His poetry collections, Glass Awash in 2022, Heron Spirit in 2024, and Random Riffs in 2025, were published by Spartan Press. His website: https://rivrvlogr.
Amethyst Review 