In the Reed Bed

A reed warbler sings among the reeds. The sound is clear, but however wide I open my eyes, I can't see the bird. The wind brushes through the reeds and passes. I stood there and waited until the sound was gone. Even after, the reeds kept rustling. I turned and walked along the lakeshore. Behind me the warbler was still singing. The sun was high. My shadow stayed short at my feet, then touched the water's edge and trembled. It was a day on which nothing happened. I stopped walking and listened again. The sound of reeds and the sound of water, and somewhere between them, the warbler's song went on. With that sound in my ears, I walked on slowly.