Friedman photograph provided by Tess Kincaid |
Open Land
East to west
North to South
Miles traveled without a turn
Like sailing the rolling seas
Unmarked by signs.
Driving for hours
Hill to gully
Mesa to ridge
A land unmarked
By neon signs or city lines.
Across the Navajo mesas
A random pickup
A gate to a hogan
A lone walker
Slowly walks in dust.
The setting sun
The only directional marker
Monuments of stone
and shifting shadows
Marking time.
J. Binford-Bell
October 2011
nice...this felt like a road trip...the little glimpses as i gaze out the window...nice...
ReplyDeleteYou have described my favorite landscapes ... great memories for you I'm certain.
ReplyDelete'A land unmarked
ReplyDeleteBy neon signs or city lines.' Wide spaces indeed. I'm not surprised the prompt made you want to run back!
I can see how the image paralleled your recent road trip, Jacqui. Wonderful poem! (And I like your photo too!)
ReplyDeleteWords like mesa and gully make my hand water to write. If that makes sense!
ReplyDeletewhat a trip you must of had..
ReplyDeletemesa....what a lovely word
I love this - it was such a bundle of great images
ReplyDeleteYou certainly captured the wide open spaces...
ReplyDeleteThis makes me yearn for a nice long road trip...
ReplyDelete'A land unmarked
ReplyDeleteBy neon signs or city lines'.
Perfect poem and you know how some lines just jump out at you as the above did for me.
Makes me realise what a small place the UK is, as I read your poem...
ReplyDelete