Nearly to Silverlake

Grinning like he can bear it while cascading 
Down snow drift after snow drift after snow drift after
Sixteen inches deposited gently by
A gatecrashing bull raging drunk off of
The Gulf of Alaska into subtropical spring,
Not even an RSVP—remember how we were barking
Mad at the river while nursing our numb
And tired dogs in the long-ago snow
Not even two days ago?—he found
An exposed granite tor, a mountainous bald spot
Ruckled and wracked by black and lime lichen
Beneath and buttressing this accidentally ancient juniper
And decided to have a long and silent sit.

Nearly