RAFTING DOWN THE COLORADO RIVER Part 1

 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!  
Notes: The 2 rafts were named "Raven" and "Red Wall".  A Sarong is a long length of colorful cloth you can wrap around you.  A "Groover" is a portable toilet critical to keeping the river clean.

Transcript

 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