Thin Air

Marita steps off the ranch house porch
into the desert cool, in minutes the sun will break
Pistol Ridge and there'll be a good heat on,
the kind that dries out rocks, keeps sage

close to the ground. Marita walks to the corral
where Brandy waits for a carrot, a currycomb,
a saddle, they ride up to Foster Flat
where a hundred head finish off the summer grass.

With the ranch house left behind
Marita drives the herd north over Keg Ridge
and on to the Moon Valley holding pens
where she gets a good price. The heat comes down

like a hammer and thins the air, Marita gets light,
lets loose the reins, swims up and surfs breakers
in the clouds, runs with the sundogs.
Swimming on thin air makes Marita uneasy,

she grabs the reins and rides Brandy hard
back to the ranch house.