The surface of the lake,
so beautiful in its stillness,
reflects sky and trees.
Even the path of the avalanche
glistens on the surface.
Yet beneath the lake surface,
trout swim, feeding on flies and worms
that bore through the blue
like termites through wood.
Even the blue green algae
blossom and float placidly
while trout snap their prey.

The portraiture on museum walls
reflects the stillness of a lake surface.
Here we glimpse a glittering world:
stolen images, opaque
black and white photographs
of the warrior and his clan.
Beneath the surface,
a spring gushes—
an avalanche.