by David Mampel
Today I will be
a private investigator of enchantment.
I will follow clues like breadcrumbs
out of the dark forest of my misery
until I shade my gaze
upon a thousand stars
sparkling off the whitecaps.
I will wait for the water
to become still
and deduce the sky’s reflection
if only my eye be single
and fill the whole body with light.
I will disguise myself
as an ornithologist
and record the song sparrow
announcing her presence
before sunrise reveals her simple seeds.
I will be a marine biologist
watching how wind curves over
sand on the salty shore
and eases into a whisper
through the driftwood pile
I lean against.
I will be an aging archeologist
dusting off fragments of discovery,
shards of seashell treasure
humming in the universal spiral
of my ears. And of course, I will find
the gold amulets of expanded vision,
as I notice veins in a leaf
when I slow down.
And then, and only then,
will I solve the crime
of broken breath
and praise the unsolvable mystery
of this blue winter’s day.
© 2026 David Mampel All rights reserved.
“Private Eye” was previously published by Brushfire Literature & Arts Journal in Spring 2026
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