Below the incurious sheep on the hill

                that stare at me as they endlessly chew

The sun is warm and I perch on a stone to watch quietly

As it is reflected off the surface of the lake:

                the part not covered with pond weed

                where flies dip and buzz

                dragonflies and damselflies dart

                     and hover:

                     red and blue liquid flashes

The sun stays warm on my back

A light breeze ripples the surface

                and rustles the taller rushes at the far end

But never a rise

                I think all the fish have been taken

There are the remains, a few feathers only,

                of a pheasant on the bank:

                an otter kill I think

The game keeper is on the island

                          and I point out the remains

A duck takes off noisily as I walk on

                past the musical trickle of water

                falling from a culvert

 

Then

Everything is disturbed

                by a low military transport 'plane rumbling past

 

Again, silence settles on the surface