bloggingmichael: August 2011

the sun was high in the sky; it was getting hot. the river bubbled along with a melodic sound, loud enough to notice, quiet enough to slide by in the background. the spot was familiar, a favorite location on the metolius river, lower bridge camp.

'it's nice here, if here is where here is'

'it's here...you can even go rent a camping spot if you want'

the river seemed to swell in volume. it sounded like people speaking in a strange tongue. water, voices, water again. a shadow from overhead passed across the water, causing me to look upwards. i caught a glimpse of the osprey i'd been observing last time i was here.

time.

frank looked good. a slight smile crossed his face. still round and jovial, he was the picture of health. it seemed perfectly natural that he and i were here together; my confusion was there, but well in the background. the explanation could easily wait till later.

maybe it was the conversation we'd never had when he was alive. back then, all we noticed were the differences. how different we were, how little in common...how unlikely it was that we might be a bit more similar than either of us realised. it was our time.

i didn't even remember the words and it didn't seem to matter. there was a pleasant and musical sound in the air. water. words. water. we looked into each others eyes for the first time. as i watched, his face seemed to change; thinner, less round. his hair had grown down to his shoulders. i reached out to touch his locks; my arm was large and muscular. thick fingers with a familiar ring.

i was startled enough to stand up. it was not easy, i was heavy and my thin legs seemed to strain to lift my weight. frank noticed my confusion and chuckled.

'it's alright, mako, we've always been each other, just didn't realise it back then.'

'or just couldn't say it' i replied.

i was myself again. frank looked at me and smiled silently.

'don't let the time go by'

i knew what he meant. a gurgling sound in the river caught my ear. in a moment of complete disorientation i stared at the metolius and gasped. it was now flowing in the opposite direction; south instead of north, still murmuring the same alluring sound as if nothing had changed.

'the folks in camp sherman won't even notice' frank said with a grin. his eyes were shining with joy, a light from within seemed to be radiating out towards me.

i felt as if i were standing at a threshold of uncertainty. not knowing what to do, i waited almost frozen. the world seemed to pause around me and the only thing i noticed was silence. the river's song had ceased. utterly quiet.

the river had ceased to flow. the surface of the water was smooth as glass; a mirror without a single ripple, turned to ice without freezing. liquid ice without reflection; deep beyond measure. inviting and terrifying at once, it was beyond my comprehension.

i summoned up all my will to look at frank again. he was himself again, but much younger. strong, trim and alert. he moved slowly to the rivers edge, then paused as if to consider his next move. he turned his head slowly to look at me with a warm smile on his face.

'don't let the time go by. it can flow in any direction, but that's not the point. make it your own.'

'i will'. tears.

frank approached the water, then stepped in at the point where my family had scattered the ashes. there was no disturbance in the river; not a splash not a ripple when he entered.

'i have to go, mako,' he smiled. 'it's o.k., the source is upstream.'

when i wiped the tears away, he was gone. the metolius rolled away northward singing gently as a song.

river of water and rivers of time

flooding the canyons and thoughts in my mind

and i'm lost as i listen and the sun's going down

and i'm longing to follow the silvery sound

and i watch as i wait for the music to end

but the sound it just gathers again and again

in the walls of the canyon in the walls of my mind

the sound it still echoes for time out of mind

rivers of water and rivers of time

they sing with their own voice and listen to mine