What Could Be More Antithetical

By John I. Blair

What could be more antithetical than
An egret flapping alone across our parking lot?

The egret’s all elegance and sinuosity,
Spotless, soft, antediluvian grace;

The parking lot’s all brittle concrete,
Stamped steel, stone, sterility.

Yet for the egret the hot air rising
From the pavement helps it stay aloft;

And for the parking lot—well, with
An egret for our eyes, why care?

©2004 John I. Blair