Part two

during the summer i was most happy

twice i was afraid. once

swimming in the canyon falls

and once when we went too

far into the mountain basin

and the trail stopped just as

the clouds darkened. all day

i had only seen two ravens,

one hawk. we had to scale

back up the rock face

we climbed down.

but       so often my sadness

is a type of fear         and

paired with my fear of water,

paired with my dread of heights,

paired with my anxiety of omens

in the form of birds

there too           stood my sadness,

at the thought of losing you.