Water roars
over boulders
heaved up by ice age
glaciers
rushes through the canyon
boring holes and kettle pools
in the eons old rock
tumbling and churning
down the mountainside
We spent the afternoon climbing
through autumn’s golden haze
following the silver thread of water
through fierce red maples,
trembling
yellow aspens and dark green firs
Standing on the mossy precipice
above the falls
I grasp a thin branch
stare down the steep cliffs
into the chiseled granite
abyss
drink in the mist
thrill to the water’s voice
It beckons me
dares me
for seconds
to
Jump
into the whirlpool
swim dangerously
Something pulls me back
I find a shallow pool
Splash dance
for joy
in the icy flow
This waterfall
as mysterious as stars falling
on a deep clear night
gives me back
the center of myself
Poem by Elizabeth Fletcher
Elizabeth Fletcher’s poems have appeared in The Schuylkill Valley Journal, Ariel Chart, The Scarlet Leaf Review, the anthology Lost Orchard, and the Plum Tree Tavern. Several of her nature essays have been published in The Philadelphia Inquirer. She has a BA from Hamilton College, and an MS in Technical Communication from Drexel University.