death valley jaunt

eerie death valley

the ancient prehistoric/historic dust of death valley

california in my arid nostrils

desert biome reptiles hide

spectres rise up from the stirless valley plain in four quadrants

directions of the eliptical flat plane's horizon

the panoramic sweep of panamint mountain range far away

in sweltering mist of purples blended in hues of blackish green

the smell of humans sarcophagused by the eternal dust, 

pallid in this mysterious forgotten air

in temperatures atmospheric far past the 120's fahrenheit

breathing slows, mind's acuity falters and fall to near flatline

barometric pressure atmosphere high, as the elevation of this valley is low

lingering these ghosts; they persist by their invisibility

float they do, near my attuned ear

empty hearted, lonely they be

craving for the warmth a of human soul

the desiccated curtains of what's left of a block concrete theatre

of what was once part of main street, hang incredulously still

from ornate curtain rod after 80 years

retain their crimson shade despite weathering of heat and ice

over years time tattered 'cept for four lengthy yards or so

preserved perhaps by paranormal entities

though vandalism's tarnish; there is no evidence

perhaps desolate remoteness' an' harsh conditions precludes their presence

the walls of this building are gone save the south and western

it is strangely roofless, no evidence of fire or its materials quarried

protected by the united states' park and recreation

deemed national landmark

the specter exudes feminine attributes of energy

hidden in its own universe a skin's thickness away from mine

this hidden dimension i've landed upon is preserved by time

it silver and gold remaining i've seen scattered thoughout the mountain ridges

at the mouth of abandoned mines whose timbers remain stalward strong

the shafts beckon into darkness

electric pins an' needles up my spine an' neck impulse a strict reticence 

i am vulnerable here alone, but one my friend, easy prey

respectfully we carry on away

my back tingles 

below the ground bones and cast iron scattered buried remain

with weapons and tools of the mining era

guns an' coins of the same caliber, human greed

abandoned to the elements, reclaimed

stillness pierces, silence rings its high pitched tenor, like an obsidian blade

i am naked, become pure conscience, absent my corporeal frame

one soul an' mind;

energy cannot leave this place

we camped at the turn of a ravine, dan and i

dark descended unexpectedly, light snow began to fall

hurriedly we pitched our nylon tent

one flashlight's beam eerily piercing the white flakes

the numbing cold made movement difficult

fighting an inner urge to vacate this location

my friend objected tired sleep, exhaustion's set

the wind blew its howling rage an' intensified

i lay in wonder, how could dan soundly sleep?

my heart pounded fear's apprehension

intensity increased the flapping of the tent's walls 

to sheer point of ripping's extreme with threat of hypothermic death

rain began to fall like high velocity needles 

made bullets by the storm unexpected 

my heart and pounding voice in my head shouted, "enough!"

with springlike motion, i sat prone,

shouted at my trekking friend to move

he protested with grunts an' i pulled at him an' then the tent's entrance cord

and rose ejecting myself full into the wind

he followed, now he too feeling fear, 

his stretched taut vocal chords screeching against the wind, yet muffled 

we found shelter in rocks above the ravine at its rim

huddled in cold an' wet, 

blanketed cocoon covered with our tent

in the morning having slept but nearly none

we retraced our steps by the early risen sun

at the spot we'd lain and around it's bend we peered

the flash flood had conveyed its onslaught

splattered against the end of the ravine

at its meandered course with gravity's pull an' push

its rough 90 degree turn to southeast 

askewed debris of desert bush an' rocks 

with monolithic slick tons of mud and clay lay

its mass would have been our tomb