August 12-24, 2026

The River Doesn’t Care

(on gaining wisdom after the event)

the river doesn’t care for you

not if you make it home

not if you never make it home

will hold you in its soft embrace

as easily as forget you ever were

it's cold embrace will welcome

what desire will fail to hold

deny toes their search for stone

deny hands their stretch for shore

yet too slow to still the cry

"John! John! I can't make it!"

though quick to claim, too slow

too slow to foil the hand, reaching

pulling life from brink of death

yet careless, flows unconcerned

cares not to mourn escape

of once it's certain prey

as forgetful of desperate cry

as of bather’s joyful plunge

as if either were of no import

sports instead in ceaseless wave

carefree frolics on sylvan stream

as ashore, lungs rejoice to feel

what so short had been denied