Kayaking the Smith

(August 1977)

White water.
Faster.
Harder.
Ice water
And rocks.

Riffles,
Big
And small,
Bouncing the little kayak.
Throwing it about.

Down,
Then up again.
Twisting
In tormented waters
And hidden rocks.

Crashing.
Dashing in the water.
Sinking,
Rolling the raft about.
Finished.

It’s done.
Thank God!
The kayak is gone,
Fractured and disappeared.
But you have survived.