Season 3 Episode 13 Colorado river poems
for 7 nights & 8 days in the heat of Late August & early September 2023 I went rafting down the Colorado River through the rapids of the Grand Canyon, taking a landscape photo workshop with 8 students and 2 teachers. Every evening I read my daily poem to the group - here they are!
AUGUST 29
Onto the river.
Experience, hot bright sun
staying unburnt and cool.
The first river lunch of wraps
Chatting with our Guide Ed
A river veteran and the sage
A career he never thought of
And started 46 years ago
becoming addicted to the river
Its changes. Its mysteries,
its life and beauty
Now we too will soon
be immersed in river life
It’s The perfect night.
Clear skies.
Stars first then the moon
Cool, not cold
Ants all around the camp site
we’re told Ants don’t bite.
they sleep at night
River time happens fast
As quickly as the rapids pass
My sense of time departs.
Sunset, moonrise, moonset, sunrise
24 hours on earth
Feels like one week has passed.
Looking at the geological drama
hoping this feeling will last
Grateful for my good karma.
I can be here floating along.
Wrapped up in my wet sarong
August 30. COOL ILLUSION
The cool morning was an illusion.
Splashing waves so cooling.
Keeping to the Shady side
Running the roaring 20s
Red Cave is green and gray
singing and dancing, we pray
will soon go away.
So we can go panoramic in excess
Instead of eating too much lunch.
Now we're ready for afternoon baking
making sure our thirst we’re quenching
covering up still getting hot
Soon we even hotter get
ready for hot food dinner,
Mexican fajitas, and Tabasco.
Finish the day with cheesecake and strawberry jam
and then we go on a hiking slam
ready then for A Star filled sleep,
hoping it would be silent and deep
What's happening? it’s so bright
I’m woken up by the blue moon’s light.
Ansel Adam’s image appears in B&W
mountains and cliffs below the perfect moon.
then in the silence, sleep comes again very soon.
August 31 - The Cheesecake Recovery Hike
Starting at 5 am in the dark
rushing up to catch the spark,
sunrise here takes its time
as we walk up in a line.
Once we all reach the Granary
Tripods down, cameras ready
Our teachers Joseph and Greg
see those little things we miss,
Nice and patient they don’t even hiss.
Expose for those highlights,
focus and compose,
are you sure your clear
what is the real subject
you want to appear.
,
Look at all that extraneous stuff
move, change don’t feel rough
to release your creative spark
widen your eyes, open your heart.
Capture the Granary and the winding river
appearing below as a silver sliver.
See the patterns weaving through the strata
change your position, don’t be a martyr
The golden light starts to spread
I’m so glad I got up early and out of bed
High up towards the Mesa
new colors deepen and vibrate.
Now we must leave this place
where magical images we did create.
Down we go to receive new magic
To miss the breakfast would be tragic.
September 1st - Water, water everywhere
Orange pee is not a good sign
Especially if it s mine!
that was before a windy night
that made some tents fly like a kite.
my tent kept flapping and slapping me
sleep was elusive, it would start, then flee.
The river day began with rain
getting us ready for more of the same.
Rapids, Water, wetness galore.
Crystal, Hermit and Serpentine
Then through the canyon’s Gems we ride
Agate, Sapphire, Turquoise and ruby
Far better than Disney’s pride
Exhilaration, excitement, noisy screams
A river riders perfect dreams.
©MartinStrasmore2023