The Canyon's Edge

This summary includes the following poems: “Black Water,” “Eight Seconds,” “Hitting,” “Too,” “The Last Thing,” “Living Water,” “Waiting,” “Shame,” “Dad’s Height,” “Slipping,” “The Second Time,” “Sinking,” “Why?,” “One Raging River,” “What If?,” “Breathing,” “But,” “Trill,” “Wind,” “Burning,” “Flame,” “Nightmare,” “Rebuild,” “Weakness,” “Almost,” “Lie,” and “Not Real.”

A massive flash flood sweeps down the canyon toward Nora and Dad.

Dad tosses Nora onto the outcropping, yelling at her to climb. He climbs up behind Nora and pushes her above him. She holds onto a crack in the wall. Below her, Dad does the same. The rushing water rises rapidly, washing away her backpack. Terrified, she struggles to climb higher and almost falls. Dad desperately tries to hang onto the rock as the powerful water crashes against him, but he isn’t strong enough.

Dad tells Nora to hang on and says that he loves her and he’s sorry before the water sweeps him away. Nora watches him float away on his back and disappear. She regrets that she didn’t tell him she loves him and that her last words to him were “I hate you” (41).

Nora clutches the rock wall, thinking she’ll die. The water slowly recedes, and she slides down to the outcropping, badly scraping her hands, knees, and arms.