traffic

 i stalk herons

in the l.a. river duct

among mortar, stone

stagnant pools

frothy & algaeic

wind-weary

willows recline

in beds of dirty laundry

scum serene

in the flowing

depression

the freeway

churns above unseen

their necks twist

like corkscrews

napes ruffle

belly feathers bloom

with an exhale