Big lake. Small town.
Deep forest. Sinuous river.
The phenomena of young life
passed into memory -
fragmented and culled.

Swimming in fresh water 
fishing from Mac's dock.
I lay on warm sand beaches
beneath summer cumulus clouds
floating by and with them
going to another place in time.

We ran the thin strand
past the lighthouse and foghorn 
over the dunes to see the town,
across open water in low horizon,
lit by the lights of home.

There lived those who knew me -
a child, a boy, a young man.
We went to school, played ball,
rode our bikes and tossed our papers.
I worked in a main street store
after school and into the night.

All of this and these were
as once I lived by a lake and in a town
near a forest and a solemn river.
As I live now they are gone. 
____________________________________________________________________________
Portland, Oregon - August 22, 2021