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