A Yellow Rope

A Yellow Rope

A rowboat in snow, a half inch of light snow
already fallen, onto the oarlocks, the side rails,
onto the oars lying over the benches, snow
falling onto the slats on the bottom, a dreary
gray river beneath, lifting the boat just a bit
out of the water, holding it up to the snow,
and magical balancing act, a knife-edge ridge
of white stretched all along a yellow rope
leading taut to a post on the bank, tying
the snow-covered boat to the rest of the snow

Ted Kooser