December 4, 2014The River
for Joel
We were college best friends for three years,
kayaking the rivers of the Pacific Northwest.
I cherish our week in Glacier Bay,
and the night we hid from the grizzly.
My father tells me not to take chances.
I tell him that I am careful and will not
make a mistake, but I heard today
that you missed the eddy and the river embraced you.
This weekend when my new wife and I
hike the hills of England I will skip a stone
downstream and watch it sink
into the sparkling waters of memory.
from #44 - Summer 2014