Canyon Secret

From as early
As I can remember,
Joey and I heard
The canyon calling.
There was something
Wild, rugged
And untamed about it
That captivated
Our fascination
And had it become
Our playground.
The fact that we
Were forbidden
To go there
Only made it
More attractive.
The canyon was left
In its natural state,
Surrounded,
Yet never dominated
By man.
For two young boys
Interested in catching
Lizards and snakes,
It was paradise.
Near the mouth
Of the canyon
Was the entrance
To a large storm drain
Which ran back under
The City of San Diego.
We used to
Borrow flashlights
And venture into
The dark recesses
Of that tunnel
Where we could listen
To the traffic
Passing over the grates
And manhole covers.
I will never forget
How the sounds
Of our footsteps
And our voices
Reverberated through
That tunnel.
In all the years
We frequented
That canyon
And storm drain
I don’t think
Our parents
Ever discovered
Where we were going.
It was our
Best kept secret.