Counting Geese

The geese fly over

from the sandbar

to the shallow pool

at the base of the Bowersock hydroelectric plant.

The massive concrete and steel structure

rests idle,

due to the drought.

First, four fly across,

then another four,

that makes eight;

then after a short interval,

the remaining five –

thirteen.

Do geese drifting

on low water

count?

For all that,

can I fly?

I suppose there is room

on the river

for the fourteen of us.

But how many of their kind

would it take to screw in

the one more light bulb

that would blow the circuits

on their species forever?

How many of my kind?

Does anyone count

anymore?