Three boys down by the river br search for crawdads. One has br hammered a spear from a br curtain rod, and head down, br jeans rolled up to his knees, wades br against the river's current. br Barely seven, he's the most br determined. He'll go home br hours from now with nothing br to show for his efforts except br dirt and sweat and that residue br he's unaware of sifting br down from a distant sky br and glinting like threads br of mica across his shoulders. br In the distance someone keeps br calling the names of the brothers br in the same order over br and over, but they don't hear br what with the river bank gorged br with blue weed patches and all br the birds in hiding. Perhaps no br one is calling and it's only br the voices of the air as br the late light of June hangs on br in the cottonwoods before br the dark gets the last word.