Cape Perpetua
by Michael Dylan Welch and Jim Rodriguez
First published in Blithe Spirit 33:4, November 2023, pages 82–83. Originally written 11 June 2023 on I-5 between Corvallis and Wilsonville, Oregon, with a new third verse added 13 June 2023 in Sammamish, Washington. My photos of Cape Perpetua shown here, and please see more photos from the trip that inspired this rengay.
full parking lot—
stunted pines
at the cliff edge Michael
the famous viewpoint
shrouded in mist Jim
whipping wind—
another step closer
to the blowhole Michael
the stream vanishes
into the sand
just before the ocean Jim
a whale’s dry jawbone
at the visitor center Michael
as the common murres
return to roost
sunlight fades Jim
