kern river

(May 2022. The day after I escaped from LA for a two week Sierra adventure. My first non-collaborative poem in a while.)

in the canyon gorge of the kern river
south of the sequoias
water falls as many waterfalls between
gaps in the granite,
inefficiency of hardness dis-
assembled,
air and water filling spaces with force
widening imperfections towards perfection
the murmuring of many streams
of one river broken apart
squeezing through many openings
escaping the grip of interlocked knuckles,
the urge of freedom compressed
explodes the pressure of any center

i have explored up and down this river
after spontaneously pulling over
scampering along the large boulders
soaking in the sun
giggling at the lizards and the people
swimming in the deeper pools
washing the malibu sand from my hair
washing the bakersfield diesel from my hands
washing every friend i’ve clung to in LA away
to properly begin another adventure alone

i have written a poem
i have done my day’s work
life is sunshine and water