At last the canyon
Opens to
The shining waters of
Abiquiu.

Upriver
Express rapids swirl,
Downstream the
River rests against
The unwieldy barricade’s curl.

Cerro Pedernal,
Valles Eruption’s greatest gift,
Doubles in carnival
Mirror script.

The spirited Río Chama,
Alas,
Belongs to
The dreaming of
Darkness.