WHEN I AM GONE

When I am gone,

Don't lament that 

We never said goodbye.

For I am as the flower

That disappears into

The breeze--

A beautiful memory,

Fragilely fleeting.

I am the energy

That cannot be

Created or destroyed.

I am simply transformed

Into the summer breeze

That brings relief;

The light from the moon,

Illuminating your path;

The smile that comes

When you remember me.

Even when long forgotten,

I am still here.

UNFINISHED POEMS

Unfinished poems are:

A moment, not seized,

That passed too soon;

Inspiration drowned out

By responsibilities of life;

A silent birthday wish 

Dared to be spoken;

A million beautiful thoughts

Left tangled on the page…

RIPARIAN REDEMPTION

Weary warrior,

Return to your lover.

Release your anxieties

As you frolic in her fury

Or bask on her beaches.

Let the adult die,

And your child thrive.

Be renewed by her

Riparian Redemption.

SUNRISE PT 2

Sunrise awakens the sleeping night,

Transforming crystal to topaz & tourmaline.

Silent snow becomes the perfect frame

As Michelangelo creates his greatest work.

Just as a wedding dress becomes the accent piece

When donned by a bride full of hopes & dreams,

So the sun enlivens the dullest hearts

With the hope of dreams to be fulfilled.

SUNRISE PT 1

The fires of the sun, racing across the sky,

Whisper to my heart like an intimate secret between lovers--

As if I alone awake to the most beautiful woman in her most vulnerable state,

An eternity of bliss created from one fleeting moment.

IN PRAISE OF THE GODDESS

Smoke in the trees arise

As a token of our sacrifice

To the great Goddess,

Who blesses with surf so ceaseless.

Faith once broken by man

Is now renewed and restored

By Her waves of Grace

That overcome the darkest malaise.

Now our hearts ablaze in praise

Like the fires of the sun after the rain.

At last, our search is over

For serenity is found in Her arms.

Amen.

RIPARIAN PHOENIX

Like a phoenix, I arise.

With riparian feathers, I fly.

Let anxieties now die

As I taste my River high.

And while my face may belie

The ebullience inside.

When enough beer’s imbibed,

I'll release my battle cry.

RETURN TO PEACE

All the demons behave

As I fade into her wave.

So surf, sink, or swim--

I'd sooner fall at her whim

Than stand with those who hate

For rage you cannot satiate.

So banish all negative ways,

And frolic like an otter at play.

Embrace our mother River,

And become a Life-giver.

Or be the moon in the night,

Who lives with darkness, but is light.

So I love all with no goals,

Now, return to peace, my dark soul.

RAINY DAYS

When rainy days leave me undone,

And all of life's trials, I cannot outrun,

It is to the River that I choose to come.

I'm reminded these days are but part of the sum.

All darkness and rain are dispelled by Her sun.

Becoming one with Her waves--that's when I’ve won.

RIVER KNIGHTS

Worn out and weary, we ascend the gorge,

Prideful in knowing we battled like Thor.

Our paddle’s our hammer;

Our prose is our banner.

Deftly we slay the Russian hacka scourge.

Our souls long to battle day after day.

Even wounded, we leap first into the fray.

For all wounds are healed by her holy water

When we come as clay before our Potter.

All imperfections are cured by her sweet, swift sway.

So let us now go forth unto war

With the call of the River always at our core.

Though some think we only live for a thrill,

We really just want to crush Life's treadmill.

Slaves to the grind we are NEVERMORE!

COWS ON THE RIVER

I saw cows surf on the River today.

I laughed as they tried to get onto first wave.

The sport seemed an ill fit for them to crave,

Sometimes I wondered if they'd have to be saved.

It was quite entertaining watching them stand,

For they only had hooves for feet & hands.

How they held a paddle--I don't understand!

It seemed quite the show to the people on land.

Here & there, the River would throw them a bone,

And give them a surf they could think of at home.

But alas, before they could ride on her foam,

They'd trip over their hooves & fall with a moan!

But as I looked closer, I suddenly saw

That the heifers were humans dressed for the fall.

An abundance of layers was their one flaw,

And soon they dialed in & answered the call.

They surfed the wave like they were fit to her mold.

The moves they were trying seemed pretty bold.

One said they planned to surf well past they're old--

At least I think. Their speech was slurred from the cold.

TALKS WITH THE BIG GIRL

I danced with the Big Girl, and she threw me around.

She bucked me every time that I surfed her crown,

But wondered after much abuse why I did not frown.

And asked why I keep smilin’ like a foolish clown.

She said, “You lack technique, style, and grace.

In fact, after every surf, you fall on your face.

Your pretty ass would be more at home in muslin or lace,

Or perhaps waiting around for a husband's embrace.”

I said, “True, I’ve no grace: I can barely walk on dry land.

But there's something 'bout me that you must understand.

I often do things that draw swift reprimand,

And persist in perfecting that beyond my command.

So no matter how many times I take a dive

Or swim a long swim, I will survive.

Between crazy & fear--that’s where I thrive.

I'll keep hitting the wave til my surf arrives.”

She said, “Bitch, you're crazy, but then so am I.

Hang on, and I'll take you for a long ride.”

Then she sucked me into her friendlier side,

And kept me where the Ladies’ Room & Anvil collide.

I told the Girl thank you, and I'd see her again--

Though leaving her after that ride felt like a sin.

Still, it was time to leave and gather with friends

To celebrate our Girl’s return with a shot of bourbon.

UNITED CHURCH OF RIVER

The River Gods, they heard my cries.

As I languished, they sympathized.

For I was weary and worn from my travels.

Without rain, I'd go crazy. My life was in ravels.

I journeyed to the mountains to receive strength from on high

From the goddess Miyolangsangma who lives by the sky.

She gave me great powers--all unexpected,

But she took my strength to bear the burden I had elected.

I returned to the valley, weak from living without cares,

And the daily struggles of life all felt too much to bear.

So I went to the River to strengthen my shoulders,

But we both seemed a little weaker, a little bit older.

Still, I paid homage to the Queen of my life,

And submitted my body as her Totem sacrifice.

I prayed to our Mother to send me both rain and purpose,

And lift me from this state--so gray and so mirthless.

In swooped her angels in the form of dark clouds

And enveloped the earth in a watery shroud.

With each drop of rain, my spirits arose.

Now ecstasy simmers as I write this prose.

For even a day is too long without our Lover.

Though we pass time with hobbies, our minds always wander

To her beautiful curves upon which we ride,

To her love that carries us through high & low tides.

Hope of her return makes my lip quiver.

And I can't wait to worship at the United Church of River!

THE NAKED DAM MAN

Omniscient Omnipotent is just one of his names,

But he never gives a moniker that is the same.

Most think he's a legend old kayakers tell

About who is responsible for Stubblefield's swell.

He’ll occupy his time at the river all day.

A cardboard fortress atop a rock is his mainstay.

Sometimes, it's the only evidence that he exists,

Yet new tales of his escapades always persist.

“Let’s look for the Naked Dam Man!” Robert Goo will say.

“Well, what does he look like? What is his way?”

“He’s a tall white man who looks bone-thin.

He’ll stand on the rocks, his beard blowing in the wind.

You see these rock formations--he made them all.

In fact, he's the one who maintains Stubblefield Falls.

Ask him any question, and he'll answer the truth.

He's held the secrets of the universe in his head since his youth.”

Then I think, “Perhaps he's akin to the Totem Heron or Deer,

Who watch over the River and live without fear.”

Humans may pity him, thinking he lives in exile,

But paddlers know he's embraced that musk, so fierce & so wild.

And when I finally meet him, I'll gladly shake his hand,

For I've met the ultimate Totem, the Naked Dam Man.

THE RIVER QUEEN

To the Court of the River Queen,

I come with trepidation,

And wholly stand in awe of Her vast creation.

For I know the privilege I hold despite my station

And so I'm o’ercome with great elation.

Then as I catch a glimpse of the Throne room's gleam,

I cannot wait to gaze upon my River Queen.

At the Court of the River Queen,

Peasants cheer as I approach.

Filled with excitement, my path they will encroach. 

They gasp as I try to use my tiny boat

To cross the turbulent, “impassable” moat.

But erupt in applause when I reach the Eddy’s seam,

For I am at last in the Throne room of my River Queen.

The Throne Room of the River Queen

Is filled with courtiers fair,

Who frolic without worry under Her Grace's care.

As I approach Her throne, they all stop and stare,

Wondering if this unfeathered creature even belongs there.

Undaunted, I charge ahead at full steam,

For I know I was bid by my River Queen.

Before the Majesty of my River Queen,

I forget all my toils.

Dancing with my Queen is the greatest of spoils.

And to Her only, I will always be loyal--

Long after I  return to my peasant soil.

For She alone fills all my dreams,

And I pray to always be worthy of my River Queen.

Goodbye, Clyde!

Goodbye, Clyde,

The nosiest of noses.

And when he found that scent,

It was never for the roses,

But always for the stinkiest of hides

So we could always say, “There goes Clyde.”

Goodbye, Clyde!

Who else will keep Toonces on his toes

Or correct him with that loud bellow.

And even though he'll trip you on the stairs,

Deep inside we do believe he cares.

For in your cage he'll sit inside,

As if to say, “Goodbye, Clyde.”

Goodbye, Clyde!

AnnieBelle must've been your only dog friend,

‘Cause when it comes to other dogs, you'd never pretend

That their obnoxious, stinky bodies didn't vex you dearly.

And when they crossed your path you expressed it clearly

That Ms. Belle was the only one you could abide.

And so with heavy hearts, we say, “Goodbye, Clyde.”

Goodbye, Clyde!

You always fill our hearts with joy--

Whether man, women, girl, or boy.

You were always a sucker for affection

Even if you weren't sure of its direction.

In our hearts, you'll always be by our side

Long after we say, “Goodbye, Clyde!”

Rain Dance Rap

The River Gods we supplicate

So with bated breath we wait

To realize our surfing fate.

And when that first drop hits the slate,

I'll stand outside, face up, arms agape,

And yell, “Bring the deluge from heaven’s gates!”

               LET IT RAIN!!!