Getting There

Aluminum blades
peeling the sky
from the cloud tops.

Sliding down into Denver
from mid-heaven.
Below, the old road
scratches the sand.

Swifts dwelling
under red rock ledges.
The plash of the boatman's oar.
Look! The waterfall
fills with blue smoke.

Slate chips in the round holes
Ground into the rock.
New blooms and corn husks
Eaten by the Anasazi.

Clouds of smoke
Slipping down the valley.
We drink bitter tea at dawn.