Last Days in Atacama
By: Deborah Boyer Rock and sand and ash Bleached bones Brutal and beautiful This is a place that can seduce you And swallow you Undisturbed shelters of stacked stones built into rock faces Vestiges of centuries of struggles to survive Way stations for shepherds and shamans Warriors and wanderers Sense them still in the shimmering heat, in the hot wind on your face Voices lift toward the mountain spirits Echo in the rock caves Plaintive prayers for protection from destruction For drops of water that could mean salvation I add my footsteps to the sacred trail Passing the long-surviving Rica Rica plant Tenaciously hanging on in sand and rock and fierce wind Serving generations with sweet berries and medicinal bark Its minty leaves will flavor my Pisco Sour tonight Back in the lodge I dive into the swimming pool Stand under the rain shower Rinse away the dust of the day Reapply lip balm But something has taken hold of...
