only the slightest ripple
disturbed a glass-like lake
a solitary duck
lingered on the wooden causeway
the milkiness in the sky
reflected itself down
leaving the trees
in outline
reversed
upon the lake
a breeze arose
as if in warning
as one
no two
then three
hawks appeared
like negatives in the
mirror lake
bird song stopped
even the reeds
appeared to still
swirling
searching
then away
but the mirror
broken
the upside down world
gone
unthreatened
stoic
a single drake
waited
for better times
at the end
of that broken pier
It's easy to see all that you have described here, Peter, with the mirror lake reflecting it all. I especially liked the "hawks appeared like negatives". A subtle metaphor - thank you.