Two level miles round trip
from the scenic area parking sign
on a rain forest trail
to the falls and back.
The day before this,
the echocardiogram
peered inside my heart,
steady long-time friend
angel wings of valves
amplified swishes
and flashes of fire
going the way
my blood flowed.
In this glacier run-off
carved-out grotto, a perfect bowl-vase
equal smooth sides
vivid ferns dripping crystal
in the sunlight and the water rush
to the canyon
inside my heart
again.
Wahclella Falls, also known as Tanner Creek Falls, is a waterfall in the gorge of the Columbia River in Oregon, USA.
This poem was first published in The Cascade Review 2014.