Like green taffeta,
a silky swirl of shades
laps the boat’s sides—
Norris Lake, my father
at the helm, his outboard
powering us across the water
to our favorite island—
three days of swimming,
fishing, sleeping curled
on a tarp, constellations
circling overhead,
ancient stories to lull
us to sleep while time
ticks her sure journey
through one more summer,
the lake unfurling
her colors again and again.
Connie Jordan Green
Connie Jordan Green lives on a farm in East Tennessee where she writes and gardens. She has published award-winning novels for young people, poetry chapbooks and collections, most recently Darwin’s Breath from Iris Press, and newspaper columns. Her poetry has been nominated for Pushcart Awards. She teaches writing workshops for various groups.