2011: Last River Walk

November 18, 2011
Kyoto

9:00 AM, late start.  58 Degrees
Taganogwa, very, very  low level, rocks plus breeze,
Surface all a-ripple. West side, full sun fights the chill.
Young couple, jogging in black tights, shorts, sweat pullover.
Fashion, a la riverbank.  Dog walkers, girl in kimono eating obento.
Team in waders and day glow jackets cleaning river.  White trash bags
Floating downstream.  Collected later.  Cyclists moving up and down the paths.
Crickets silent. Sound of water fills the air.
River alive with fowl: egrets, herons, devoted pairs of ducks,
singles on their own, pigeons and crows bathing or drinking.

Riverbanks above and below path mowed many weeks ago. 
Upper bank fresh with new green growth. 
Clumps of heliotrope flowers.  Sweet.  Grasses at river level
Sporting feathery plumes bright in the sunlight. 
Warmed by sun and movement a pause to absorb
This last chance before Sayonara.

The station approaches, the IHTrib  (increased price) awaits.
Strait to Lotteria for coffee (Yes, iced as the cup has more.)
Euro crisis endless, Occupy occupies some columns,
Here, Olympus scandal rattles the calm Japanese.
Time to move on. Now East side also in sun. 
Path busy.  Bikes, walkers, joggers stream by.  
Warmed by this last view, river, mountains, folk.
Home again.

GK in Kyoto one more day.