Dancing Silently

Sitting beside the black diagonals of the rubber doormat
Is a pair of Chaco’s in the dirt
The sandal straps, green and blue, rigid in place
Waiting patiently for the next step
Down a well-maintained USFS gravel road, around
Twenty meters from where I’m parked, camping
Alone, except for the varied calls of passing birds, and
In the distance, a fire lookout tower, whose attendant, I hope
Greatly appreciates the hospitality of their view.
I’m on an adventure to the Malhuer National Forest
To escape the low elevations of August, to isolate
And to read, observe, consider, and reflect —
Some of which are things a chess player ought to do before every move.
It’s been a peaceful experience, living
In this pine-scented Central Oregon mountain air
And I have enjoyed a feeling that everything is okay, will be okay…
The pastel horizon dancing silently into the evening dark.