The planetary scientists say that there were rivers
............................................ on Mars. Once
in the past, maybe water or silicon
carved its way into the soil, leaving channels
on every channel last week,
............................................ I saw Mars in rivulets
............................................ Mars in alluvium
Mars in the dust-choke of the desert calling
I too have hidden waters.

Or maybe silicon. It hasn't got the magic
(just like breasts of silicone don't eclipse
the mostly water-filled kind).
............................................ I once walked
twenty miles, lost in the Gila Wilderness
until the sun set and Mars winked
............................................ at the snakes in my path
............................................ the narrow canyon.
I tried to leave the river but it trapped me
in the Mars-filled night.

The rivers on Mars are all gone. There may
............................................ be hidden ice
and we know there are scientists on Earth
rooting for those rivers, like Percival Lowell did with canals
............................................ (he saw canals on Mars
in his observatory near the Verde River)
and where there are canals there may be
............................................ civilizations on Mars
............................................ the remnants, Martians
............................................ from the past who kept records
could be grand interplanetary stuff, but likely
it would be concerned with Martian sex scandals
and politics of the day.
............................................ Scientists on Mars argue
............................................ invent petty rumors
............................................ apply for Martian funding,
but only if there are canals.

The Martian scientists who study
............................................ rivers on Mars
............................................ would be too busy for that.
They'd be out after a hard day in the
Martian backcountry
............................................ just happy
............................................ in the city lights
ordering cold Martian beer
I was once at a party,
............................................ many years ago
but long after the last river on Mars
dried up. I met a famous planetary scientist
............................................ who tried to tell me
............................................ I had a nice
decoll-del-col-decollatage (he was drunk)
and we talked about rafting on the Colorado.

The waters (or maybe silicon) of ancient Mars
seem placid, at least based on the
photos I've seen. There's evidence
of flooding, but it's hard to say that a river
rafter would find exciting rapids
............................................ in those eroded canyons.
............................................ A climber might
............................................ conquer Olympus Mons
even today, and feel accomplished,
but the boatman
who can travel through time
might want to stick around to see what crests
there are on Earth to be cleared.
............................................ (probably a lot of volcanoes
but if you can visit the past
you must have a kick-ass raft
that can withstand magma
............................................ If not, then I advise against
............................................ visiting Mars in the first place)

The best way for visitors from Earth
............................................ to experience rivers on Mars
............................................ would be for doomed lovers
to take a vacation to the dry beds.
They could lay out their sleeping bags
under the two moons
tell their boring confessions in the earthlight
and cling together like
............................................ there's no one else around
............................................ (which, being Mars,
............................................ there probably isn't)
and break up on the trip home, halfway there
leading to an awkward
............................................ interplanetary flight.