Understanding a River

Saint Paul, 6 November 2011

It's no more possible to understand a river

than to comprehend the channels love will carve

or to predict what size sand grains will drop

from suspension on its leeward banks

If creeks are smaller than streams

and streams are smaller than rivers

why do we love so much like water?

Water taxis and gondolas full of autumn's leaves

drift from our attention like defiant indifference

Yet we implore the gondolier to paddle faster

on the off chance of reliving past infatuations