Dregs: River Rascals

Wild ride
Down the Nile,
Making like
A crocodile,

Grinning wickedly
While hunting
For prey
And swimming powerfully;

Disguised as a log,
Breathing imperceptibly
Nostrils only slightly
Above the flood,

A meditation posture
With a bite,
On shore creatures
Spooked in flight,

The smart ones
Staying away,
The foolhardy becoming
The dish of the day;

Clever and wise,
Mara and Buddha at once,
Menacing mentor,
Treacherous teacher,

Makes one prefer
One’s own devices,
Sticking with
The do-it-yourself perils,

Shunning the swirling waters,
Hiding unknown hazards,
Dragons of the deep
That from the river creep
To bask in the sun’s heat.