I. A study of a lake
We chanced upon him on our honeymoon. His gallery was empty
but well-lit, and black walls pulled focus onto the lake. Hovering, the mist
entered the space, and there, the waters were still. It took me back to a dream
I had of Te Ara Kairaumati, where I was dwarfed by the mountains perched
above. The water glossed and became a mirror: I saw my hands reach out.
II. A study of a painting
Then the lights turned low, and everything changed. Layers of pearlescent
pigment shifted before my eyes and night descended on the lake. The mist
grew thick; the waterbirds appeared. Then, the clouds grew volcanic.
The dancing, dusky orange and purple broke the image in two, and the water
shone just enough to stop me from seeing my own reflection.
III. A study of an emotion
It was there that I felt the slowness of breath and steady beat. I waited
there a while and we exchanged whispers. Briefly turning inward, I found
the fog had crept its way inside of me. When the lights once more bloomed,
the swirling, shifting waters stilled and we carried away with us
into the bracing air of Queenstown a secret knowledge of how to love.
Kit Willett is an Auckland-based English teacher, poet, and executive editor of the Aotearoa poetry journal Tarot. His debut poetry collection, Dying of the Light, was published by Wipf and Stock imprint Resource Publications in 2022.
