Two Ducks on the Pond

Two ducks lived on a round pond.

In the morning they paddled with purpose. In the evening they forgot purpose entirely.

They made circles that grew slower.

The reeds leaned in to listen. There was nothing to hear but water against feathers.

One duck said, do we need to go to the other side?

The other duck said, we are already somewhere good.

So they stayed.

A frog blinked. A cloud parked itself over the pond like a blanket.

The ducks tucked their bills into the soft places under their wings.

The pond held them the way a bowl holds soup: gently, and without asking them to explain.

Night came. The circles stopped.

Two ducks. One pond. Enough.