"creekside picnic"

A bank slants toward late light,
grass pressed flat where the blanket settles.

Water shifts in a slow pattern,
small rings widening near the fallen branch.

A thermos rests in the shade,
its warmth fading into the ground.

Clothes lie in a loose heap near reeds,
one sleeve brushing dry earth.

Footsteps compress the bank,
and the surface adjusts around a quiet entry.

A breeze moves through the treeline,
lifting one corner of the blanket, then letting it fall.

Upstream, a faint sound carries,
not close enough to follow.

The day holds steady,
as if waiting for the next small change.

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