Merge with the river
by Yosemite poet James downs
102 pages, price $14.00
ISBN 0-9714003-2-6
If you can find philosophy in rivers and trees, rocks and beasts James has
done so.   Here are the roots of natural philosophy of which sages old and
new have spoken.  First it is observed and then it is gotten up close to,
soon the words come and they are the fine blending of that world out there
and the poet’s voice.  But there are times when the blending is so complete
that the two become one.  James has taken us here.  We go with him on
the journey and we nod our heads along with him as nature gives up her
philosophy when we give up ourselves.

James Downs lives and works in Yosemite National Park, California.  A
native Texan, James moved to the golden state in 1995 and happily calls
himself a ‘permanent Californian’.  James produces a twice yearly on-
stage writer’s night, WORDS.  James has produced a number of
handwritten chapbooks and Where Manzanita in 2000 for Poetic Matrix
Press  In his spare time James reads copiously, roots for his sports teams
loudly, participates in as many poetry readings as possible and hikes all
over Yosemite.

"James touches something at once personal and yet with universal depth
and appeal.  His writing evokes a sense of his place in Yosemite and the
world."  - Ed McCormick, photographer

"James Downs can put a moment of beauty into words."  - Amanda Stone,
painter

“These poems will inspire anyone who lives to have a connection with the
natural world.
A truly wonderful poetic work”  -  Ed Whittle, musician

“ ‘Take a short sweet walk’ with poet James Downs.  Come sit with him, in
his forests, by his rivers. Find the simple truths that connect to all.”  -  Jo
Maiorano, poet

Cover art by Yosemite Artist Penny Otwell.
Book designed by Mary Ellen Wilson, San Diego.
Read reviews of Merge with the river
Reviewed by Paul Dolinsky, from Buddhist poetry website
The Golden Lantern.
Also reviews on Amazon.com by Paul Dolinsky and Joyce Gardner
Reviewed in PoetsWest by Joe Zaccardi
James reading at Cody's Books in Berkeley July 2005.
Thanks to Cody's and Poetry Flash.
Author’s comments

"The world is girded under by the wild.  The wild is in everything.  The wild is not
inherently good or bad; it just is.   If we each tap into this wild, we can be part of
something so big as to not be able to see the horizon.  And that is good!"
Bait

Two fishermen flipping lines
out over water    over
and over again    making that

filament sing    making fake
fisherflies    alight
and jerk them back again

alight and jerk    alight and jerk
lightly flitting surfaces
with tempting allures

and the fish see them    it must be
dinnertime and their sure
shimmering bellies are empty    and

along come fisherfellows with
talk of food    “oh
don’t go for them” i say

“it’s only these fakes
these cons    these flibbetegibbets”
but who am i to speak?

how many times have i looked
up at radiant surfaces
seen something with such allure    
when

i was hungry or just plain bored
and bitten down    hard    taking
the bait    hook line and sinker?
Without falling

Upper vistas
granitic rock outcropping
sit and let my mind

soar      it flies along
as the river winds
as the river winds around

i can see below
the waters flow
alpine willow branches bend

down to the edges on
the horizon     crags
and sky touch     i can

sail   silently
let my mind be
part of it all        from

this high up i float
with the sense it all
fits together    a perfect puzzle

it turns
this way then
that  bending through

a sun coming up
we all want to fly
in this life without falling
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contemporary culture and no
excuse for the abuses of language,
ideas, truth, beauty, and love
in our cultural life.
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