Rhapsody

Hunched on the boomof a shipbuilder's crane,an osprey watchesher chick flap and fallback into their nestatop a light polea hundred yards east.Mexico beckonsin fading summerlight. On the river,two dragonboats passnear shore, the callers'shrill voices minglingwith the birds' cries nowjoined by the circlingfather, wings arched, fishdangling from his talons.Facing the light polenear the water's edge,a man plays stand-upbass with his eyes closed,head tilting in timeto the melody. The chick calms, softenedchirps finding spaceswithin the musicand dimming voices,head barely visibleabove the nest's rim.