High in the mountains,
I wish I could
absorb the cold clear air,
soak up some snowmelt,
capture the rush of the wind
and the sudden quiet in the pause.
I wish I could
take all of this in
and carry it home
to the desert.

I’d invite over friends
and breathe out a cool wet breath
drop ice in their drinks
and let them put their heads
to my heart to hear
the thunder of waterfalls.
And each in turn would look into my eyes
at the light from the top of the world.
Cool, they would say,
Que cool. mjh

06-10-03 in Colorado, of course