THIS AFTERNOON

THIS AFTERNOON
I HELP YOU DOWN INTO THE WALDEN PADDLER,
THEN SLIP INTO MY HYPERFORM
AWKWARDLY AT FIRST
YOU  PADDLE HERE THEN THERE
THEN START TO FIND THE TRACK
THE CANEY FORK SLIDES UNDER US,
SLIDES GREEN PAST LIMESTONE FORMS,
ONCE OCEAN FLOOR,
AND SNAKES AND GREAT BLUE HERONS
WAVES FROM PASSING BASS BOATS
GENTLY LIFT AND ROLL
WE STUDY EVERY WEATHERED ROCK AND ROOT,
I WITH MY BINOCULARS
YOU WITH THE POLAROID
THAT SOMETIMES DOESN'T FLASH
YOU WANT THEM ALL
TO PUT INTO YOUR GARDENS
THE SHORE SLIDES BY
TOO QUICKLY,
LIKE THE YEARS
SINCE LAST WE DID THIS LOVELY DANCE
WE PADDLED ONE BOAT THEN, TOGETHER

(FOR PEGGY-AUG/98)