Poem for Tuesday and Sol Duc Falls

Waterfall 

By Lauris Dorothy Edmond 

I do not ask for youth, nor for delay

in the rising of time's irreversible river

that takes the jewelled arc of the waterfall

in which I glimpse, minute by glinting minute,

all that I have and all I am always losing

as sunlight lights each drop fast, fast falling.

I do not dream that you, young again,

might come to me darkly in love's green darkness

where the dust of the bracken spices the air

moss, crushed, gives out an astringent sweetness

and water holds our reflections

motionless, as if for ever.

It is enough now to come into a room

and find the kindness we have for each other

— calling it love — in eyes that are shrewd

but trustful still, face chastened by years

of careful judgement; to sit in the afternoons

in mild conversation, without nostalgia.

But when you leave me, with your jauntiness

sinewed by resolution more than strength

— suddenly then I love you with a quick

intensity, remembering that water,

however luminous and grand, falls fast

and only once to the dark pool below.

-------- 

We had nearly perfect weather on Tuesday again -- cool in the morning, warming to nearly 70, and now cool in the evening again with a lot of sun in between. I did a bunch of post-trip computer-related work, went to pick up a package and visited the ducklings and turtles, went out to get bagels, did some more work, took another walk, and watched Voyager's "Imperfection" with my Tuesday group, then watched Star Wars: The Acolyte with Cheryl, which I'm really enjoying (this week reminded me of the 2017 Wonder Woman's Themyscira). 

Then we watched Twilight: Eclipse, figuring since we were on a roll, we might as well do the rest of the series. It's still not very good (and still the slashiest of the movies) but it has scenes in fake-Seattle and the fake-Forks area, so it was fun to watch. Now we're watching this week's Dark Matter, which, like the whole series, is stressful and depressing and profound and amazing, all at the same time. Here are photos of the Sol Duc Falls trail, including the spectacular three-spouted waterfall and some of the rushing river and falling streams along the way: