we are lost in the hot sun,
brush and dry dirt
that all looks similar
until you,
perched in an arm of a lake forgotten,
you,
pristine despite the dust,
the algal blooms,
whiter than the snow
you’ll never see,
miles and mountains away—
you are all poise
as we sweat,
outstretched wings in the shadowless noon
as you take off,
showing us home,
you command our whole attention
without making a sound.