Joseph Riippi

from Puyallup, WA

Five miles south of Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest, there lies a valley. In 1829, less than two thousand people lived in this valley and drank from its river. Tall mountains rose to the East, a smaller range to the West. Cedars flourished here. Salmon spawned. There were birds, daffodils, wilds. To the Southeast, an enormous peak rose above the valley like a happy other. The river curled from it like an umbilical. There are noticeably more people living in this valley today. There are noticeably fewer trees. The fish are delicious. The mountains stand. The river rises when it rains.

Please read Joseph Riippi's new chapbook from Chapbook Genius, in its entirety, here.

Joseph Riippi lives in Brooklyn. He's the author, most recently, of the novel Because.