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Kathleen McClung
Almost Feeding the Ducks at Lake Anza


Our voices—was that the appeal?
Or did mustard-drenched turkey lure them?
Those two mallards marched straight to our bench
as if to arrest us for some misdemeanor,

or did mustard-drenched turkey lure them?
The Safeway deli lady wore thin, plastic gloves
as if to arrest us for some misdemeanor
that might involve blood or spit.

The Safeway deli lady wore thin, plastic gloves,
traded blarney with Tom about the Jersey shore
that might involve blood or spit.
I studied swimmers biting their gold medals in People magazine.

Her trading blarney with Tom about the Jersey shore
pissed off customers waiting in line for ambrosia salad.
I studied swimmers biting their gold medals in People magazine.
Luckily, sundown in August doesn’t happen til 7:45.

Pissed-off customers waiting in line for ambrosia salad
eventually decamped to picnics, sang hits from “Hamilton.”
Luckily, sundown in August doesn’t happen til 7:45.
The lake dazzled us with possibilities.

Eventually we decamped to picnic, didn’t sing hits from “Hamilton.”
We hoped to nap or start a pantoum.
The lake dazzled us with possibilities
but first, two sandwiches she’d marked Onion, No O.

We hoped to nap or start a pantoum,
talk quietly about the century plant on Fairview Street.
But first, two sandwiches she’d marked Onion, No O.
We could hear our stomachs rumbling on our day of rest,

talk quietly about the century plant on Fairview Street,
how it towered over neighbors’ rooftops, over telephone poles.
We could hear our stomachs rumbling on our day of rest.
I peeled off both little strips of tape from the deli.

How it towered over neighbors’ rooftops, over telephone poles!
It could be Jack’s beanstalk, we said, or from outer space.
I peeled off both little strips of tape from the deli.
Tendrils of lettuce fluttered to dirt below our bench.

It could be Jack’s beanstalk, we said, or from outer space,
we agreed as we bit into crusty sourdough.
Tendrils of lettuce fluttered to dirt below our bench,
and those two ducks swam up, unafraid, waddled out of the water.

We agreed as we bit into crusty sourdough:
They can investigate, but let’s nix a stampede.
Those two ducks swam up, unafraid, waddled out of the water
teeming with minnows. They couldn’t possibly be hungry.

They can investigate, but let’s nix a stampede.
Our voices—was that the appeal?
Teeming with minnows, they couldn’t possibly be hungry.
Those two mallards marched straight to our bench.

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