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

ELIOT KATZ

A Visit To Multnomah Falls On Way From Portland To Seattle

Sitting on stone bench

looking straight ahead at Lower Falls,

water gushing through

a big mouth that 12,000 years

have carved in mountain rocks—

a light spray splashes

my spiral notebook's open page.

Up above the Lower Falls,

a thinner stream flows—

this the West Coast's highest falls,

with upper half difficult

to watch in the noonday sun.

In blinding light,

it is easy to imagine

this very spot as God's

water faucet gift to Planet #3—

hard to figure why anyone

within 500 miles would

genetically engineer alterations

in the food chain,

why anyone would drop

cluster bombs, blow up

embassies or hospitals,

why anyone would murder,

rape, expel

based on ethnic coincidence.

Multiple generations around me

smile in awe—

whatever looms

above the Upper Falls

remains hidden

this time of sunny day.

Perhaps after sundown

heaven's astronomical secrets

will reveal themselves—

perhaps after sundown

the generals on both sides

will come to their senses—