The San Diego River Estuary
By Steve Rodriguez
Can one easily tap the brakes,
slow down our ever accelerating pace
of life? Filter the jarring noise?
Water down reliance on tech?
I offer the possibility of wandering west
through Mission Valley density.
Proceed forward under cement pillars
supporting trolley tracks and the I-5 freeway,
but this time do not press ahead
to the boisterous summer beaches lying ahead.
Instead, find your attention transitioning
to a much underrated swirl of marsh,
mudflats, seagrasses and brackish pools.
Where the river’s fresh course
meets the salty ocean tide’s remnants.
Where normal hustle and bustle bypasses
a mile-long stretch of ebb and flow.
Take time to admire a unique habitat
hosting a hundred avian species.
A rest stop for migratory birds
and oftentimes for harried humans –
a strip of elusive urban calm
more fitting for a distant
East County patch of wilderness.
Stroll the paved River Pathway
that runs parallel to these wetlands
like a theatre mezzanine,
encouraging tranquil sessions of observation.
To fully appreciate, are you capable
of momentarily blocking out the steady
hum of traffic heard from
highways aligning this enclave,
not to mention protruding views
of the nearby Sports Arena
and screaming Sea World rollercoasters?
Never mind. Trick question.
By all means, revert back
to the wonders of modernity –
pull out your smart phone and capture
images of a snowy egret searching
for crabs in receding tidal mud waters.
