boat

a leaf carried on ripples
traces basin rim,
as nothing more than fate
prevents meeting the drain;
for however ornate
these patches of rust
the rain will hold her place,
until the water flows no more
from the lips of this cup.


a castle around my moat--
all stone and filigree,
to keep the dreams from dying
in the scorch of summer sun.
though the still water grows hotter,
I am cooled by the tides
as water rushes back to meet the moon.

but lacking a reflection,
I am left to watch the stars
through fingers filtering light--
I can see each constellation
in the freckles on my arms,
but as the midnight rain grows colder,
even these will fade.

and the rumbling clouds above will swirl
and turn a different shade;
with the moon as water's witness
and the sky as castle stone,
I will raise the clear-sky drawbridge
and drink in this night
alone.

--
Title is semi-prompt; mostly this was a free-write stream of consciousness thing. Not feeling particularly poetic today.