H e a r t S o n s & H e a r t D a u g h t e r s of A l l e n G i n s b e r g

N a p a l m H e a l t h S p a : R e p o r t 2 0 1 4 : A r c h i v e s E d i t i o n

DAVID COPE

Tahquamenon

I felt him

near me as I descended the stairs

alone

the falls we had shared roaring beyond—

distant thunder

crowds on the viewing deck

and below me,

tannin foam swirling cloud designs—

he was there

beside me, briefly—

then I was alone, the wind lifting the leaves

the laughter of my grown children

coming up behind me.

[Originally published in NHS 2010, http://www.poetspath.com/napalm/nhs10/index.html.]