Middle of River – Part 2
January 11, 2012
(This vertical prose has been rewritten in horizontally and posted on July 24, 2012.)
stay out of american river
kids in neighborhood often
told there’s undertow you
can’t see branches either
here read today’s newspaper
another boy’s drowned
still couldn’t stay out of water
nor could other kids
swimming whenever wanted
never meeting danger until
mature enough to drink friday
night cops yelled hey you guys
come here instead friend and
i dropped beers in park
and raced over levee churned
through long stretch sand
and dove into river other
guy strong swimmer in shorts
no shirt and shoes i bad
swimmer fully dressed and
exhausted halfway across
dark river knew despite daze
needed help called for strong
swimmer must not have heard
i held breathe and went under
to rip off water trapping shirt
and back up for air before going
down again to pull off shoes and
then flailed arms and legs in
frantic motor toward shore i
reached gasping unable to talk
ten minutes then said where
hell you right there friend said
don’t worry could’ve easily hauled
you in with fireman’s carry
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