At last I've made it
Shin-deep in the creek
The fray of whitewater bouncing
down the waterfall
How long it took to get here
Lost in the Harrisburg suburbs
Too high to read the cardinal directions
Shot through aluminum
Bushwhacking to the water
That maroon knit coat
One large boulder becomes a talus field at twelve thousand feet
Jogging past ancient pines
I only wear technical jackets —
Down fill power, nylon ripstop, wind and waterproofing
I was so embarrassed
I thought you loved me
Today the dog plunges into the water after a buoyant yellow stick
Today my toe hurts after slamming it, bare, into a birch root
Today I climbed down to the water alone
Today you are merely a ghost
