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Up River On the Columbia
she ploughs through granite gorge walls,
mountain valleys, lush green fields,
and desert air.
coils, heaves
and runs for a thousand miles.
I've fished her shores.
reveled in her wild flowers.
beside her there's never an empty day.
at times she reclines. other times
she's brutal, a tragic play.
I've seen her vitals in violent rage.
a ship captain knows she can't be cornered
when she spits a body up from her cold currents.
for centuries the natives fed off of her.
settled her banks.
claimed she was crafted by the hands of a god.
told magical stories about her wealth.
then gathered with the gulls,
and rode her inconstant waves.
today birds circle.
I'm alone, seated, a bit mournful.
a tour ship and a barge chug along.
I peel an orange.
all around dry brown slopes cut the horizon.
this is desert country, naked, dry,
marked by burnt grasses.
the heat can beat you flat.
good time for some ice tea.
nearby two Native Americans
fuss by an old truck.
one calls out "fresh caught salmon."
evening falls.
a train's iron wheels crack the quiet.
a hundred cars nose the water's edge
with headlights and horns.
it's the first of many goodnight runs
that gnarl through tonight's moonlight.
nearby a distant slope twinkles with pearls,
the lights of homes.
I hear ducks wrangle,
chatter in their own language.
a curious splash catches me,
then goes under.
I am far from the penalties of city life,
the foul sounds, the street side cries,
horns, bells, hotels,
the proof of life in glass towers,
the disdain jokes.
I lie on fresh manicured grass.
feel the cool air.
my vigor rises.
my vain battles ease.
a crow and I stare.
he grabs his grub. flies off.
Mother Earth, her head, arms,
are stubborn, beautiful.
crowns all.
I blend. sink into the waves.
a cloudless canopy covers me.
I go deep like the fish.
I swim within my muttering self.
descend. scrape my heels.
see my delightful soul.
I can go as deep as I want.
the wind
blows and I abide.
soon exotic stars will cover the entire sky.
this, the perfect place
to escape
the pickle jar of city life.
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