North Fork, Shoshone River

The problem seems to be one of overcrowding, that so many of us came down from the mountains at the same time, looking for a different life.

And there are only so many paths.

Yet let it be noted that this is the year when nothing will stand in our way--we will overrun the big cottonwoods, the boulders, the diversions and temptations that face us all along the way.

Hear the roar of our laughter as we pass under the bridge, for we are leaving everything behind, knowing that a new life is ahead of us.

Though as water, we can't be sure whether we are living in exile or coming home.

For to know you are a river is one thing, to see yourself without illusion is another.