Long View

From the bluff called Cedar Bluff, though the cedars
were mostly gone, she watched the two young men,
small from her height, as they stood a few feet
out in the lake. What do brothers talk about?

Do they still say she’s crazy because she doesn’t
want them to spill things? Exchange one –
syllable confidences? Their backs to her,
as if she could read their lips 500 feet down

a sand dune. She could get the binoculars–
hear them say I almost like Jeter now he’s old.
Well, you can’t spend your whole life hating Jeter.
She heads back to the small house.

They’ll be climbing the dune looking
looking for food–their only proof of love.
She says je vous aimez les deux.
They hear do you want mustard?

They’ll stop to wash the sand off their feet
like they’ve been taught, the hose kinked
and neither will fix it–just spray patiently.
She will study this– how the hose makes one sharp turn

and the sun will glance off lean brown bodies.