Sport 40: 2012
Cartography
Cartography
It’s a relief to be able to say
I am here—as you look out
on the contour lines, gouged
valleys, watersheds you may
or may not cross, or have crossed.
To read the altitude and note
when to expect an exposed ridge
will become the sheltering belt
of stunted mountain beech is relief
of a sort too. A breeze lifts
your street map from a table at the café
you’re at; a ripple from the territory
you inhabit as you relocate
yourself, uncertainly bearing north.
facing the sun as you walk