There is something so serene

about a mid-morning walk around the Reservoir.

Crisp air, blue sky, happy dogs,

and water that shimmers like a thousand flashbulbs at Yankee Stadium.

Wildlife gather in groups,

like the ducks huddled on windy rock planks, beaks tucked in feathers to stay warm,

or the turtles sunning in the weeds, tiny heads and round shells crest the surface.

Quiet sounds interrupt the silence,

as running shoes crunch sand, keys jingle in pockets, and moments of pop music escape noisy earbuds.

A pause at walk’s end

shows Gasson Hall peaking above the trees, as if the branches decided together precisely how high to grow.