he contemplated the tarnished whitequartz broken rib that stuck out of the earths side 

it had been scoured by ancient seawater before a violent tectonic shift forced it upthe water to recedebecome a deep sonorous river that is the east boundary of the remote twisting gorge

the rib is dazzlingwhite in places  like fangs

                                               although its majority is rustcoloured  brittle   crumbling

it was his third trek in a day and a half hike  if one tried he tried once and failed taking the river theyd be blind its course narrow the water swift tall cutbanks anchorage untenable

the rib relished its solitude                                     

he applauded it they shared that 

                                    reverent existential solitaires

theyd visit twothree days

then retiring he heldup his hand  saluted it

                                              hiked out

until the next random time when he needed to be assured  vivified

2311,  Thursday,  7  10. 21

1122,  Saturday,  9  10. 21