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12/22/2014 5:47:52 PM

Graphite Drug
Posts: 81

River's End

Somewhere on the Colorado River’s delta there is no water,
only miles of cracked earth.
Far into the distance the dry delta spreads.
Crags, low mountains, stretch across horizon,
separating empty sun baked clay from high desert clouds.
Dark clouds, life giving rain, appear to float,
migrate over the low mountains.
Darkness covers this portion of the earth: shadow of cloud,
depth of retreated water,
vast emptiness expanding from neglect.

Some light penetrates openings in the clouds.
Pink and purple illuminates their edges.
Sunlight reveals side of mountains.
Atmosphere lends interest to an otherwise barren plane.
It is unusual to see a photo with limitless potential and no life.
Potential has not been drained from this place yet.
In time countless people will have bled all water from the river,
leaving a truly empty place.

Sun reflects on the hardened clay:
a halo of light from a solar source,
like staring at a portion of Saturn’s rings.
No ice crystals here.
Baked earth where water ran,
a river’s end until it shrinks again.

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