Let Water Flow1
Quang Vo
We passed along the Colorado River
many times that dark October night.
And each time you said to me,
“look for the water”—I called out
to the darkness bound to the road
and heard no reply.
Once, eager as a water bead, you
clutched orphaned sandals in your hands
and stirred the brown vein of Colorado
looking for shells. Light broke
over your wind-fallen hair, and
my eyes began rippling
We rode the highway late that night
as it galloped along the Colorado river.
And your right hand peeked outside
to hail goodbye to a dark canvas—
not knowing whether the river
was still awake or dreaming.
Suddenly,
a silver river drifted by above our heads.
L
1
A line from the play Chanoyu by Onnyx Bei (Laurels Fall, 2014)
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