Ice skating geese

They know that I approach and there is a ripple through the crowd
A shifting, an awareness, a gentle nudge towards the pond
Honking, shuffling, flying forward, one great surge,
Time to move, time to go, time to make decisions.

Safety waits on slippery rectangles of frozen water
Synchronized minds, robotic feet, marching towards the ice
Waddling, limping, flying up, a mass evacuation
Follow the crowd, follow the one before you, go, go, go!

Cleared for landing, they approach the icy black water
Feet skidding, wings dragging, voices loud in protest
Skating, slipping, sliding, then into the waves
And they are safe -- from me.

I watch these ice skating geese both sorry
And glad to have been a part of it all.