"Late October Camping in the Sawtooths" by Gary Snyder

Catherine Hyde

          Sunlight climbs the snowpeak

       glowing pale red

Cold sinks into the gorge

       shadows merge.

      Building a fire of pine twigs

       at the foot of a cliff,

            Drinking hot tea from a tin cup

       in the chill air—

               Pull on sweater and roll a smoke.

       a leaf

       beyond fire

       Sparkles with nightfall frost.

"Late October Camping in the Sawtooths" by Gary Snyder from Left Out in the Rain. © Shoemaker Hoard, 2005.