At the end of the L-shaped dock,
Where summer-browned children,
Yelping, jump into murky green,
A girl. Alone, book in lap,
She sits facing shore, leaning
On one arm, pale, flawless
Legs curled to her left
In a studied pose:
"Starlet at leisure,"
Inspired, no doubt, by fantasies
Of old-Hollywood glamour
And intrigue. Soft as a petal,
A lake-borne breeze ruffles
And lifts the smooth, caramel
hair from her shoulders.
She looks up, as if surprised,
From the page she has not turned
In half an hour, then returns
To her almost-convincing display
Of superb focus, careful
Not to notice the sweating,
Brightly-suited crowd scattered,
Like pebbles, on the shore.
We are her contrasting background, Setting off her cool, milky beauty
To perfection. She is lovely,
In her shorts and
Knotted checked blouse,
Sunglasses and sandals,
Pretending to read,
Watching herself play--unaware
Of how obviously--the leading role
In the movie in her mind.
(c) 2013, by Hannah Six
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