A city sliding serpentine,

the swans upon the Severn stream

towards us sinuous, then curve

away as we draw close. She strokes

the river from our boat, swallows

dive then bank and soar the jeopardy

to punctuate the canopy.

All is floaty, on the bridges

cars and buses undulate,

shimmer in the summer haze.

Fingers circling tiny eddies,

she whispers to me in italics

the world will not stay straight.