She perches on the rail,
kicking her feet out over the water.

Smiling, she says
‘Sing to me a sad song.’

So I croon her a tune of Count Basie’s-
‘Don’t the moon look lonesome,
shining thru the trees.
Don’t the moon look lonesome,
when your baby packs up to leave.’

And in a fit of giggles, she almost lands in the river-
Steadying herself, she whispers
‘Look the buildings are sleeping.’
Standing quietly, arms folded and eyes shut tight,
they lean against each other for support
like old horses in a stable.
‘But the river never sleeps.’
‘No, she doesn’t – she holds each bank in her strong embrace,
and sings her own songs to the sleeping city.’

‘Now, its your turn to sing.’

“Moon river, wider than a mile…’

I perch on the railing, precariously between
wakefulness
and dreaming

‘I’m crossing her in style one day’

I drift into sleep,
listening to the moon
as she sings to the river
and their quiet laughter laps onto the shore.

*** The beautiful watercolor is ‘moon over basel’ by Claudia Schoenfeld, who has graciously allowed her artwork to be used as inspiration for this weeks dVerse Poetics prompt. Thank you , Claudia!