Shelter Journal Near the end of a day of finest sunshine and sorest feet I emerge at last from a mile of dried out shrub to find another shelter primitive log cabins with three walls a roof and no fireplace thrown up all along the Appalachian Trail for the weary hiker where I also spy a worn spiral notebook titled Shelter Journal hanging from a string and scribbled through with entries... 16 October Name's Tom Wilkins and I'm just now getting the hang of hiking these great outdoors but I can't seem to find any toilet paper and what do I do about that curled up snake when I'm sleeping Also on the way in I had to swing my walking stick before me to clear off a veritable colony of spider webs stretched across my path like little bandits waiting for me or maybe a smaller hiker Pretty enterprising bugs around here hungry too 17 October Mario diSilva formerly from the University of Chicago faculty recently granted tenure by this academy of Owl and Ancient Oak Yesterday attended a wedding ceremony performed on the trail the bride and groom wearing finest khaki and dressed-out packs the wedding party forming an archway of crossed hatchets while the parson recited the vows with every living creature as witness Nice snake took a few snapshots for my album 18 October Hello we're Thad & Monica Proctor from Nantucket vacationing in this mountain air as crisp and mild as vintage Pinot Noir Thad has been making sketches of these charming little cabins and we're thinking of duplicating them for our hunting lodge in Maine Heard some rustling but saw no reptiles somewhat a pity I suppose 19 October Heads up ye Rockers 'cause Danny Boy and I (Todd, dude) are truckin' down to DC to score some most excellent weed and hear Van Halen rip the top off the Capitol dome if we can get tickets We actually saw that snake type person slitherin' into our space and he's a mean lookin' sucker too so Danny throws a rock at it but it just bounced off a wall and winged the wasp's nest under the roof and now we can't stay the night what a bummer 20 October My name is Rudolf Stein I am a physics student from West Berlin I love America with its mysterious wildlands like Germany once had before we cut our forests into farms and timber into cities I do not worry about these wasps or snakes for they are children If we but leave them alone to play they will grow tired and sleep and as I am very tired now I will bid future travelers good-night 21 October Muriel Rebecca and Patty arrived yesterday late into twilight the sky all purply fresh like an opened jar of grape preserves Looked like it might rain but the locals say there's a drought so today we'll see if we can make it up to the ridge top by lunch Searched for a snake that's supposed to be living in the shelter according to this log but couldn't find it thank God or the snake Only four hundred and seventy-three miles behind us but with any luck we'll finish up and join our grandchildren by Thanksgiving Met a nice German boy yesterday who stayed here the day before 22 October my name is erin but im called star now im fiften yers old and im hikin alone cause my famly sais im crazy and i gess i am cause anybody is crazy to do this alone but i dont care i luv hidin in the green woods all alone were nobody wont find me exept trees and birds singin songs of peace and love so ill just keep movin the snake bit me its sore but ill wash it wen i get to a store 23 October Ed Walters from Arlington trying out my new hi-tech camping gear especially this internal pack frame and synthetic down mummy bag That's why I love the outdoor life meeting the eternal challenge of Man's drive to survive and ultimately master untamed nature Sounds like Erin could use some help so if I spot her tomorrow I'll crack open the ol' first aid kit and a freeze-dried steak I hear snakes can sleep for weeks after feeding on a single mouse but then I haven't seen any mice so I think I'd better move on 24 October Johnny Sparrow reading these found poems as dusk fades to dark and the drought breaks for me as I swim in a river of Bards Didn't see the snake didn't see any wasps never seen Nantucket but tonight I will sleep outside on Mama's granite bosom for I trust Her hard cool stone more than the affection of Her buzzing or slithering children seeking the warmth of my sleeping bag Tomorrow I head south away from myself and toward myself again 25 October Nobody arrived at the shelter today Now maybe me and the girls upstairs can get some sleep
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This poem is from On Pagan Roads Copyright © 2004 David Arv Bragi