can a mountain just be a mountain?
[a mountain is everything]
she moves to the river
rock hands full of trees
[good old cedars or
good for all sorts of things critters]
the water moves her
bark chips brand new garden mulch linear shining
[we eat blackberries along the way for the cost
of only a few purple fingertips]
her hands melt into pools and pebbles
knock down new wood framed building should curb touch is best
[they say this rectangular dirtpiece is a waste
of a valuable land parcel]
her fingernails fall off but this is okay
land to status maximization granite countertop potential bliss material domestic
[i say hello to every person i pass on the trail
because this is what i know]
whoops she steps into the currency current mudslide
location selling point for fog dripping sunday hike routine bonding you
[we conquer nobly knobby crevice with teeth showing]
she scrubs her shoe in the river but it won’t come clean
fenced sunfill heart habitats for you family have it all under two million
[we step out fresh trails around mountain sprawls
and feel safe here]
she runs home dreaming barefoot and gravel
forget first national national bank home trust in numbers cannot quantify fresh air
[a sanctuary for the lonely
but rape repeats in the forest]
she wraps her muck apartment feet in honey and ivory
imprints of black carbon sole footprints marched for post-corporate pints
[we point at the eagles they know better]
she peers into the mirror and sees nothing in everything
official wisdom signs hoot moonshine reflective
[the dirt loves your ideas]
she wonders what reflection of herself she would see
what added taken and what away say you may notice some changes happening here
[the adorners of land thought she looked naked
without a tower atop her head]
if she could just look in the pools of water back on the mountain
heli tree shaved her head and secret baby eagle nests—don’t tell anyone
[we call the tower a viewpoint or lookout and head up there together
while it relays some signals]
she crawls back to the mountain and it is far
the river smelted up with conveniences
[i wouldn’t swim in that water or touch it he said
you don’t know what’s in there]
she pulls herself up the scar trail dragging her jowls
suddenly barren land stripes seen from satellite space reputation nightmare
[our eyes trace the divide we know to be a wound and understand
there is pain here that must be healed]
she finds the water and nestles into ripples