Sunrise 12/7/23

The Columbia Basin, Eastern Washington

Photos by Jonathan Potter ⓒ 2023

I woke from a dream in which I punched
my estranged former friend in the face,
not too hard but hard enough to get
his attention after he'd ignored
my other attempts and entreaties,

and another dream in which a famous
writer I know was driving through
my neighborhood in an old van
gathering material for his next
bestselling novel and waved at me.

I woke from those dreams and got up,
intentionally too early, thinking
I'd try for a power nap later today
to make up for it, slid into some clothes,
descended the stairs from my room,

and let the dog out. He saw a suspicious
figure ambling through the dark
on the other side of the empty canal,
and warned whoever it was that our place
was protected by a ferocious beast.

I let him back in, made some coffee,
and headed out into the wind
that came this morning on the heels
of yesterday's atmospheric river of rain.
I drove up to Hills West and there

the wind was so strong my glasses
flew off my face and I had to cinch
my hoodie and hunch over
as I climbed up the trail for
a better view of the sunrise.

The sunrise over the hills
and the rivers of the Columbia Basin
spread out its arms of light
to gather everyone in in the wind,
me and you and everyone, my friend.