whitewater rafting ospreys & bald eagles
overhead i’m front left paddling madly
wetsuit soaked guide said it’s not for water
proofing it’s for warmth i’m panting hoping
that a wave or boulder knocks me in
the water // combat soldiers who survive
a battle swear they’ve never felt so damned
alive as they did under fire or so
i’ve read // i like the screaming of the skittish
in the middle of the raft I’m thinking
happy death a running joke with older
colleagues dangerous vacations trump
an endgame hospice care // so close yet far
from home webbed feet & gills long gone
About the Poet:
Thomas Zimmerman (he/him/his) teaches English and directs the Writing Center at Washtenaw Community College, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. His poems have appeared recently in Cajun Mutt Press, dadakuku, and Rawhead. His latest poetry book is Free Range Angels (Cyberwit, 2025).
Ephemeral Elegies 
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