1 2 O N T H E B A S I N

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Winifred Tabitha Kennedy
5 years ago
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1 12 ON THE BASIN

3 ½ PAST EIGHT Shrub-ridden coastlines and a family of mallard ducks. Wind-struck entanglements. A passage of air leads east. How do I get from the other side? Two shoes submerged in mud, and laces ties to branches. Rocks line the face a hundred paces down. Wings in flight and a new calling.

4 ¼ PAST NINE A twig that connects to a stick that connects to a branch. Finding a place where no root is. Where does it all begin? Three plastic wrappers dug into the sand and a makeshift tent. Somebody lived here. Paradise, but no solace. Where is home? Nowhere to go, following where the water goes.

5 ¼ TIL TEN A great collections of twigs, sticks, and branches. Who built this place? The structure shakes in the wind, and shadows emerge from broken crevices. Who lives here? Two eyes watching. The place was meant for someone else. Two feet fall down and the world trembles quietly.

6 ¼ TIL NOON Hidden with a plastic shopping cart, and bags lined to the brim with trash. The sounds of bicycles beyond the canopy. Who slept here? Concrete path on the horizon. A ground squirrel looks at me. A pillow on the ground and two blankets as padding. This sandwich is talking.

7 ¼ TIL NOON The canopy shakes as the ground squirrel climbs on the branches. What s that clamor in the distance? A party. Benches. Three joggers pass by. Balloons. Cake. Noise. Cars driving into the parking lot, on a one way road. A plastic bag filled with today s lunch. Is it just me here?

8 ½ PAST THREE An unending pathway, with civilization on both sides. But there s only a narrow opening. Who s that in the distance? Three fishermen on the cliffside with poles in their hands. A path down to the banks. It s best to stand to the side. A family of bicyclists. They see an opportunity and catch it.

9 ¼ TIL SIX The gates to a concrete god. Shopping carts hidden in tall grass. Disguises. A crossroads for the homeless. Ten paces. The fury of a drone on a nearby landing pad, kites, model planes, and other contraptions. How can I get there? Ten paces north. This is where the chaos originates. Non-stop.

10 ¼ TIL SIX From the street or the ocean? A blowing from the side. Where does this wind come? Unaccessible areas across. Drones racing by. Wildflowers rest in anticipation of the next breath. From the street above. But there s no rest in this place. I found a place to rest. Something to ponder?

11 ¼ PAST SIX The way through an area marked as off limits. Flurries of bugs, undisclosed items, feces. I m almost there. The sounds of a hundred tons above. Thundering vibration. A flurry of gulls, and a gray reflection. Why am I here? Signs point this way and that way, but none right here.

12 ½ PAST SIX Momentary lapses of difference. A network of waypoints and infinite possiblities. Going everywhere, but nowhere. Below, under the mustard gardens. A bridge to traverse. This is the way I ve chosen. Above the treelines, looking from the direction I came. No dead ends. A green shed.

¼ TIL SEVEN The views from the other sides. Looking in. Still feeling trapped. Or out? The raining from the passage is clear. Cycles, patterns, regrets.

13 ¼ TIL SEVEN The views from the other sides. Looking in. Still feeling trapped. Or out? The raining from the passage is clear. Cycles, patterns, regrets. Walking on the ramparts of this castle. When will it be time? On all sides surrounded. An attempt at regrowth in the confines of artificiality. Place.

14 ¼ PAST SEVEN Agriculture, golf courses, and resorts. Hazy horizons, but clear boundaries. Collisions of modes of necessity. A man with binoculars, and a curious trespasser. Where to look? Three ways down. Steps to the facilities room. Old pipes, and old runoff. No easy way. New pipes and new runoff.

15 ¼ PAST SEVEN On the edge of the world. Markings from another time. When? Birds scrambling for scraps. Sparkling pieces of foil, and gleaning glass bottles. No way down. Looping. Drumming of engines in distance. Two rising plumes of smoke. I m on earth. Dirt bottoms and concrete endings.

Hiking Las Vegas.com

Hiking Las Vegas.com Hike: Mt. Wilson via First Creek Canyon route Trailhead: First Creek marked Distance: 10 miles up and back Elevation gain: 3,400 feet Elevation of Peak: 7,070 feet Time: 7 to 9 hours (up and back) Difficulty: