Witness.(Poem)

 
WITNESS 
 
   Looking for October's orchids 
   I climb down to the creek bed 
   and find indigo bush growing 
   where the pool was 
 
   once I knew where to place 
   every footfall which rocks 
   would give or roll wrenching 
   a tendon so you could hear it 
   like a branch cracking 
 
   drought has made it a flower 
   garden and the years of not wanting 
   to see no water have made me hesitant 
   but like old friends I find two rocks 
   leaning together over a third 
   where the water cascaded icy cold 
   on its way down Cow Bail from the plateau 
 
   this was our bath our shower 
   we'd dip heads under and feel 
   our brains go numb our minds 
   singing like crystals 
   our daughters ran naked up the path 
 ...