16.2.09

New Mexico

west on 40 from Tucumcari 
this is the open road
this is the best road 
nothing but the sky and the broken back mesa landscape 
the occasional navajo gift shop offers fry bread and green chili cheeseburgers

the sky is wide
the sky is blue
the sky is wide and blue in the way it only is west of the big river
in the high desert
where there are few trees
and still fewer people

in Farmington there is a fine little Mexican restaurant in the airport
nearby
Shiprock stands like a sentinel 
overlooking trailers hogans and kachina stands

in the valley of the gods the sun bounces off dry red rocks
a cool wind blows through the blood of Christ mountains

here, 
in the land of enchantment 

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