Glade Road
archaeological dig day one
my first wilderness camping trip
rookie tenderfoot greenhorn
at forty eight
everyone at basecamp a stranger
five volunteers me Ned Brett Doris Dee
chief cook and bottle washer Rob
intern Alice archaeologist Will
his good wife Irene
assignment for an afternoon walk
birds plants mammals reptiles
changes in weather conditions
fossils imbedded
manmade alterations to the landscape
anything unexpected
signs of human intrusion
stone artifacts already
a circle of blackened boulders
rusted tin cans empty in the underbrush
cowboys rustlers maybe railroad men
disturbing rubbish to me
a shiny beer can
grist for future archaeologists
my assignment weather
endless blue sky easy task no sweat
clipboard notes every fifteen minutes
a tiny thermometer
attached to my Swiss Army knife
wind velocity a licked finger
scrubby land pebbled buttes
here there now then nowhere
so too our little band
flat assumptions furrows unforeseen
fractures dried out gullies ankle-twisting
high desert a kaleidoscope
forward backward
horizon up horizon down
no idea direction of basecamp
no compass landmarks Ursa Minor light
no breadcrumbs silken threads
nothing but follow the leader
volunteer Ned decades older
in better shape no huff puff wheeze creak
at 8,000 feet no snakes either
walk talk casual conversation
pointed questions
nothing wrong with his memory
last night naked truth around the campfire
no need for secrets lies denial
projection repression
everyone at basecamp a stranger
me Ned Brett Doris Dee
Rob Alice Will
his good wife Irene
always forever happily ever after strangers
in five days goodbye farewell
ciao adios amigo
with not one iota of guilt
beyond the edge of nowhere
cumulus nimbus
towering premonitions
rip of wind
temperature drop
scribbles on the clipboard
daylight gone
in a rush now new rain gear
all thumbs quick hailstones
Ned experienced considerate hands
thunder sharp rain lightning
wavy white hair soaked
wet shirt pectoral deltoid bicep
saturated knight by my side
visibility under three feet
unbidden surprising surge of desire
swallowed intact
ten minutes later sky luminous
bright blue only a memory of cloud
peeled wet gear shaken stuffed stowed
perspective restored
our little band off in the distance
archaeological dig day one
my first wilderness camping trip
rookie tenderfoot greenhorn
at forty eight
everyone at basecamp a stranger
five volunteers me Ned Brett Doris Dee
chief cook and bottle washer Rob
intern Alice archaeologist Will
his good wife Irene
assignment for an afternoon walk
birds plants mammals reptiles
changes in weather conditions
fossils imbedded
manmade alterations to the landscape
anything unexpected
signs of human intrusion
stone artifacts already
a circle of blackened boulders
rusted tin cans empty in the underbrush
cowboys rustlers maybe railroad men
disturbing rubbish to me
a shiny beer can
grist for future archaeologists
my assignment weather
endless blue sky easy task no sweat
clipboard notes every fifteen minutes
a tiny thermometer
attached to my Swiss Army knife
wind velocity a licked finger
scrubby land pebbled buttes
here there now then nowhere
so too our little band
flat assumptions furrows unforeseen
fractures dried out gullies ankle-twisting
high desert a kaleidoscope
forward backward
horizon up horizon down
no idea direction of basecamp
no compass landmarks Ursa Minor light
no breadcrumbs silken threads
nothing but follow the leader
volunteer Ned decades older
in better shape no huff puff wheeze creak
at 8,000 feet no snakes either
walk talk casual conversation
pointed questions
nothing wrong with his memory
last night naked truth around the campfire
no need for secrets lies denial
projection repression
everyone at basecamp a stranger
me Ned Brett Doris Dee
Rob Alice Will
his good wife Irene
always forever happily ever after strangers
in five days goodbye farewell
ciao adios amigo
with not one iota of guilt
beyond the edge of nowhere
cumulus nimbus
towering premonitions
rip of wind
temperature drop
scribbles on the clipboard
daylight gone
in a rush now new rain gear
all thumbs quick hailstones
Ned experienced considerate hands
thunder sharp rain lightning
wavy white hair soaked
wet shirt pectoral deltoid bicep
saturated knight by my side
visibility under three feet
unbidden surprising surge of desire
swallowed intact
ten minutes later sky luminous
bright blue only a memory of cloud
peeled wet gear shaken stuffed stowed
perspective restored
our little band off in the distance
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