Gold Reflections Manawa Lake Iowa

Sunrise lifts slowly over Manawa’s glass,
Color spilling quiet across the waking lake.
Reflections loosen as the night clouds pass,
Soft ripples forming where the shorebirds wake.

Gold leans gently on the water’s skin,
A trembling mirror holding sky and flame.
Shadows of cottonwoods gather in,
Their branches sketching shapes without a name.

The world feels paused between dark and day,
Breath caught in the hush before things stir.
Light folds itself in a shimmering way,
As if the lake were learning to whisper.

Stand at the edge and the moment stays—
A stillness that asks nothing in return.
Manawa at sunrise quietly lays
A memory bright enough to burn.