What Is It? 

By Mary Oliver

Who can say,

is it a snowy egret

or a white flower

standing

at the glossy edge

of the lily-

and frog-filled pond?

Hours ago the orange sun

opened the cups of the lilies

and the leopard frogs

began kicking

their long muscles,

breast-stroking

like little green dwarves

under the roof of the rich,

iron-colored water.

Now the soft

eggs of the salamander

in their wrappings of jelly

begin to shiver.

They're tired of sleep.

They have a new idea.

They want to swim away

into the world.