Late October Camping in the Sawtooths
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 a sweater and roll a smoke.
…….. a leaf
…….. beyond fire
Sparkles with nightfall frost.
by Gary Snyder
from A Book of Luminous Things
Harvest Books, 1996