Whale Watching on the Sacramento River

Appeared in the Press-Citizen June 4, 2007

They nearly came ashore—out of the sea,
into the bay, up the river, under
the bridges, and far enough to make us wonder
if they were trapped or looking to be free.
And so a convoy met them—canoes and kayaks
full of TV crews and Coast Guard staff—
to drum up a story of a mother and calf,
misguided, lost, wounds across their backs,
who should not go where they felt called to go,
be that Berkeley or the Golden Gate.
Now, it appears, our efforts have set them straight;
they’ve turned around and headed back, slow
to consent, as our recording of their song
broadcasts where they do and don’t belong.