If Lost Poem by Stan Petrovich

the vermillion cliffs rise
at an impossible angle
at an implacable distance
home to the hierarchy
of golden eagle and turkey vulture alike

from the top there are no new
trails down - being the pariah plateau
where only the selfinflicted go
& tangle through the brush
of the edgy forest
and nonindigenous manzanita
reminding them they don't belong there
either

if you find yourself lost in trees
do nothing halfheartedly
if paths are to find
they are the age of mankind
they may lead to lower ground
where you will be found by
yourself or some other cliffdweller

why not try