The Valley of the Antelope
The Valley of the Antelope
1.) Hiking and History
A valley of no written history.
After a drive past delapidated
Church of Christ whose sign had fallen, faded
white washed trailer silent without story.
No stories at the flooded foundations
that held these family homes together.
A bit of land and post as a tether.
How nature can destroy our creations.
Somewhere over the horizon I see
a road that winds its way up through the hills
to drive away from rotten wooden fence.
Only a distance away one can be
in Antelope Valley along foothills
where world begins to make a little sense.
2.) Children Play
We packed water and food on a Sunday
and headed towards the mountains in the sky.
We drove without a rhyme or reason why.
We stared outside the car windows to pray.
We felt our shackles break upon the pass
as road began to come upon its crest
and looked upon a valley that was blessed
by early sunlight from this morning mass.
The children smiled at chance to run in sage.
Along a fence line found a rocky ledge.
We climbed upon the sandstone with our laugh.
The rock crumbled in our hands due to age.
The first to top peered out over the edge
then took the time to find the nearest path.
3.) Pockets of Sage
To remember the myths of Rattlesnake
we keep one eye down to the ground to see
and ears ahead to hear what there might be,
alert as Jack Rabbit for our own sake.
We stop to watch Coyote share our path.
Who stops to look for movement in our eyes,
examining our souls, our hefty lies,
and runs away avoiding our loud wrath.
From hillsides we can see the vast landscape
from crested butte to snowy peak, a sigh
of misty breath released into the wind.
We sit to eat our lunch and to escape
into the clouds of never ending sky.
A time for us to set our souls to mend.
4.) The Next Valley
A road keeps going past this still valley.
To reach another peak, another crest.
The hope of another valley thats blessed.
This beauty is not our lives finale.
I promise the children will one day see
a newer vision on the horizon.
A warmth that fills our heart under the sun,
to keep our ears open to what might be.
To forget erosion of things man made
whether our homes or ideologies.
How nature can destroy our creations.
To move to valleys, where new games are played.
A chance to rewrite our philosophies
or stories of our flooded foundations.
Jamie Lee Hamann
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This was wonderful poetry, Jamie. I read it out loud to myself to get the full effect and it flowed beautifully. It had wonderful imagery and was a pleasure to read.
Jamie, this is a beautiful piece. I felt as if I were hiking along with you and the children, for your imagery is great and the photos lovely. I love the desert and you brought it out in all its beauty with your great poetry. Well done.
Thank you Phyllis and John for your kind words. I am grateful. Jamie