Off To College In a Kayak

Tip of her kayak Tears At the tissue of Torch Lake In its morning middle New sun floating blurry A half-deflated balloon Struggling on a string above the hills Fists of fog like marble hands Warming themselves in the steam From the night-chilled water I can barely see our daughter Out there Lit Like a dragonfly On the petal of a blue flower The ends of her pink paddles Slowly Beating up and down Along her sides Wings Testing the delicate air Making her way to the other shore. I put my binoculars down. Next week she leaves for Marketing school in college.