image

The Dock and the Chair

The dock extends into water that is darker than the sky above it. A chair sits at the edge, facing away, as though someone just stood up and left it there. The rope ladder hangs down, its lowest rungs brushing the surface; green algae clings to them in wet ribbons. Beneath the water, a large shadow moves slowly, neither approaching nor retreating. The whole scene is quiet and suspended, with a sense of patient waiting that has nothing to do with urgency and everything to do with attention.