Tuesday, July 28, 2009

swim















Have I told you I love to swim? Oceans especially.
I grew up body surfing against narrow margins
of sand. Rivers next -- rocky, shallow cold rivers.
Lake, pond, pool too. Today, the last day, we drove
back to Abiqui. I swam in this amazing lake
surrounded by...well you can see. High desert
mesas & red rock & the smell of sage as clouds
amassed for yet another afternoon storm.
There was something other worldly.
The lake's not natural, created by damming
the Chama River. It serves as a reservoir.
Swimming there felt a bit the way I imagine
swimming on another planet might be like.
To float, surrounded by red clay cliffs
that hug the shore, not the endless ocean.
A good way to end things. A last swim.
Good bye to butte, to adobe, to annunciative
(is that a word) weather, to turquoise.

8 comments:

apprentice said...

Sounds a stellar trip. I like swimming outdoors too, but we don't get the temperatures here.
The whole place sounds other worldly and wonderful. I've enjoyed your posts, and hope to read some more poems fro your experience.

Pam said...

It was a really wonderful trip...just being away. And the landscape so dramatically different. Now we're back and it's raining--yuck! There are some poems percolating.

Christine said...

How beautiful, floating in that otherworldly landscape. Lucky you!

Pam said...

Hey Chris...yes, it had been a long time without a getaway so this felt especially refreshing.

Unknown said...

Somewhere unlike anywhere I have swum - it looks wonderful. Stumbled upon your blog this morning. Having a good read.

Pam said...

Hi Annie, thanks for stopping by to read. I'm glad you stumbled...hope you didn't scrape your knees! :)

Radish King said...

yes, me too. water baby. and my son as well. lucky.

Pam said...

water baby yes, esp. the surf.