The 19 and the 81

LODGE POLE CAMPGROUND

I pray for the adventure and uncertainty of talk

I pray for the conversation

I pray for the 19, and I pray for the 81

I pray for stones in the American River

Lift the stones, feel their weight,

move them around, the one

most inaccessible may be the stone

the dry creek bed has been looking for

Put the others back in the river,

stunning and beautiful They

remain in their old stories,

distance and intimacy

Jim Bodeen

31 July 2018