By the River

Rock outcrop blocking the path,

soft sand under my pedals,

small series of rapids to my left.

Abandon the path,

Down, under the roots

Of birches, sentinels

of the muddy bank,

there’s a place for me,

A long slab of granite

Jutting into the river,

Under the trees,

The music of the water

Rushing past in eddys and falls,

Unbroken.