THE RIVER
for Joel
We were college best friends for three years,
kayaking the rivers of the Pacific Northwest.
I cherish our week in Glacier Bay,
and the night we hid from the grizzly.
My father tells me not to take chances.
I tell him that I am careful and will not
make a mistake, but I heard today
that you missed the eddy and the river embraced you.
This weekend when my new wife and I
hike the hills of England I will skip a stone
downstream and watch it sink
into the sparkling waters of memory.
—from Rattle #44, Summer 2014
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Alan Fox: “At age 74 I’ve finally become a published author. My book People Tools was released in January, and ended up on The New York Times best sellers list. I’m now working on a follow-up to be released in the fall. Today is a good day to enjoy the pleasures of writing.” (website)