for Gerry
We stood before grown children
old friends, family, vowed to keep
love found between twin sorrows
We soared Sahara sands to Entebbe
where — click, click — trigger-happy
travelers now take framed snap shots.
We silver-tressed new wed widows
trekked The Impenetrable Rain Forest
of dense jungle that fills hungry air.
Climbed to rhythmic machetes —
slash, slash…steep, steamy hours…
lungs breaking, mud legs aching…
hush, hush — a bush moved…
thump, thump — we saw the giant
sleepy silverback, his mellow
mountain clan, his adolescent son’s
raw boast, met the mother’s curious
regard…all eyes agog.
No more aware of breathless air,
we twelve survivors — six human,
six gorilla.
Bliss —
Back to base camp, showered
like pioneers from pails above.
Sipped fine wine by night’s fire,
sublime reminiscing with mates.
Tap, tap — tropic rain on tent tops
as we sank into trim cots. My world
wide again, my love for you larger
than this glowing golden land of Africa
― appeared in Saturday Magazine, January 1999