Bare Rock and Heat

[mnaz]

It's all out there;
cards on the table, fossils and kingdoms and argument;
all of it dead and wavering in this heat.
Black rock red rock and sand, as if by their own hand,
whether explosion or erosion, the epochs ignore me.
But I insist on being there.
The existentially hip are beyond that;
they saw the inner deserts long ago.
But I insist on being here in this pointless space,
and there is no substitute for heat.
The sun lifts another tick and there is no movement.
None so far.

[judih]

you paint that desert dry and still
well done, mnaz

[joel]

Wonderful way to insist. If there's such a thing as free will that can be put to decent--or even good--use, that's the kind of willing I'd wanna will. I'm graduating this friday with another degree in rock, four years to the date from graduating in my last degree in rock. I'm running out of formal geologian studies--but this is the kind of thought I wish I could come up. Awesome writing.

[mnaz]

Thank you Judih and Joel.

Seems like every weekend or so I "channel" another paragraph or two about my time spent in the arid light....

This one adds on to the "Jean Lake" reflection...

"Bare rock. It's all out there; cards on the table, fossils, kingdoms and argument; all of it wavering in this heat; black rock, red rock and sand, as if by their own hand. Explosion or erosion, the epochs ignore me, though I insist on going there. The existentially hip are more sophisticated than that; they might travel to inward deserts. But I insist on being here, and there is no substitute for heat. The sun lifts another tick and there is no movement. Dust devils have taken refuge."....

Or something like that....

[jimboloco]

It's all out there;
cards on the table, fossils and kingdoms and argument;
all of it dead and wavering in this heat.

like the geologic awareness you bring into it also
encompassing movements of wind, and sand, and water

in the desert
i would find myself in wordless wonder
tracing lines
smudging dust onto paper
for atmospheric effect
my traces have vanished from the deserts i have trekked
but the desert scenes are alive in my head
tuscon what a lovely sight
northern mexico never been there
where i would go if things fell apart

hurricaines are coming
got to buy a jackhammer drill
screw stubbs into masonite
buy plywood
next paycheck
i swear said i was gonna do it
this year