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THE FEEL by Philip Gross

Simple raindrops on glass, now, seem to know
what to do, every drop sensing how

to be white against grey sky or dark
against whitewash - as easy as, look,

chuck a gull or three up in the wind
and swirl, you'd think at random,

and they're off, with that quizzical
arch of the wing, the slightest wobble

just getting the camber, as a cyclist
leans. Not like our first-and-last

once on a rented tandem: honeymoon-
bold, we went down slap every turn

till we lay by each other and glared,
not understanding why the road

wouldn't work (we'd each tried to do all
the balancing) or if we'd ever get the feel.

© Philip Gross

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