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ANTLER

 Spring Break-up Happening

Now spring break-up
is happening
the river ice
lies jumbled
in puzzle pieces
four feet high  
on the riverbank
while the river swollen
with snowmelt and icemelt  
rushes by.    

River water that froze in December
now heaped in jagged piles
in the March sun
and on the undersides
of the frozen river  
ice chunks
thousands of  
icicles  
the size of
a baby’s little finger.   

Tons of slabs of ice  
along the river edge  
as far up and down the river
as you can see.
with myriad miniature icicles
on the bottom of ice
the river flowed under in the dark
while we skated on it  
a week ago
under the full moon.