ERIC MAGRANE

Around Alpine

1. Escudilla Mountain

highMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMmeadowMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMslope

MMMMMMMMMMrocky mountain iris, wild parsley

MMMMMstand of aspen, sheltering

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMlight

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMhigh in Engelmann spruce, warblers—

***

MMMMMMMMMMMMon top (10,800+)

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMhighest fire lookout in the state—

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMthe man looking for fires:

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM“being up here keeps me out of the bars,

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMI’m the highest paid person in the state—”

MMM

MMM

2. Campsite

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMwhat makes sense

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMout here

nights still cold (38 degrees)  in June— MMMMMMin Arizona!

green trees, blue sky

green ferns, blue sky

watch out for the poison ivy!

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMdreaming of a bear

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMhanging food high in a tree

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMjust in case

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMwarblers:

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMred-faced

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMyellow-rumped

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMtownsend’s?

MMMMMMMMWendy resting in the tent

MMM

MMM

3. Up Schell Canyon

MMMMdowned snag

MMMMMMMMMMMin the trail

MMMM(ponderosaMMMMMMMMMMsloped

MMMMMMMMMMMside of ridge)

[pause to cross 8,000 together]

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMangleMMMup-around roots

4. Bear Wallow Wilderness

poems become lists of what we’ve seen

MMMMMMMMMMMthe flowers! :::::::::::

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMwestern wallflower

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMcolumbia monkshood

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMarizona rose

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMred columbine

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMpine thermopsis

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMfransiscan bluebells

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMrichardson’s geranium

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMbracted strawberry

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMwild strawberry

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMtowering polemonium

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMetcetera!

Eric Magrane writes for both the page and for glass and mirror; you can find his permanent mirror-poem installation only mountains at Casa Libre en la Solana in Tucson, Arizona. He has been an Artist in Residence in three National Parks and in his day job he is a hiking guide. His website is http://www.ericmagrane.com. He is also the editor of the new experiment Spiral Orb, an online journal practicing permaculture poetics. Look for the first Spiral Orb launch in early April at http://www.spiralorb.net.