a glass of water

cold, from the tap, with a single half-moon of lemon dropped in to give it a place to be. the lemon settles slowly, then floats. small bubbles cling to the inside of the glass and refuse to commit to the surface for a long minute.

drunk by the walker just home from a long one, standing barefoot at the sink. or by you, at three in the morning, when the house has cooled and the water-jug has been left out on purpose.

not a drink. a returning. a way of putting the body back down on its shelf. afterwards, often, you can think about something — see also a still life with lemons.