The Totems

Lakeside, among the dripping weeds, Yellow Jackets, Dragonflies, gnats, and Yellow Tailed fritillaries vie for air space. The water is still, a mirror turned over to watch what flies beneath it. It has a surface tension that echo’s from an in-between place, close but unreachable. It is there that I see the animals. They are neither in the water or out of it. They are peering into both worlds, observing with wide eyes, owls, bears, and bob cats, all observing my reflected face in the water. They are totem animals, not mine, perhaps they are unclaimed spirit creatures, ones ignored by their humans. or perhaps what I am seeing is only my face distorted by sunlight and the skimming clouds If so, why does my own totem eagle screech a welcome that scatters the Yellow Jackets, Dragonflies, gnats, and butterflies?