m o j a v e   s u m m e r

t e r r i    c a r r i o n

At the top of a khaki foothill
on the edge of the Mojave desert
stand ruins of a nudist colony. A swimming pool,
bleached concrete kidney pockmarked with graffiti.

On the edge of the Mojave desert
boys with skateboards wait to fly
into a bleached concrete kidney pockmarked with graffiti,
while their girlfriends drift over the sand.

Boys with skateboards wait to fly
weightless in the sky
while their girlfriends drift over the sand,
go shirtless and dance in the hot wind.

Weightless in the sky
the eyes of naked ghosts
dance in the hot wind,
bare skin absorbing freedom.

The eyes of naked ghosts, and
boys and girls trying to fly,
bare skin absorbing freedom.

The graffiti blurs. With each twist
boys and girls are trying to fly
higher and longer. Behind them
the graffiti blurs with each twist.

Ruins of the nudist colony
crumbled windows frame,
the bleached concrete kidney pockmarked with graffiti,
bodies and sky hang weightless, blur then fade,
on the edge of the Mojave desert.

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© copyright 2004, terri carrion, all rights reserved