This is the beginning of my first novel, ‘San Juan Sunrise’ published last year. Check it out on Amazon:

Sometimes, one has to face his or her fear of the unknown and venture forth into the abyss. So it was for the young woman looking out over the vast, shimmering mountain landscape, arms wrapped around herself, trying to stay warm, under a cold, bright sunrise unfolding over the San Juan Mountains. She inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with the sharp, thin mountain air.

She had stood at the edge of this ridge, at eleven thousand feet, high above the valley below, many times over the past years, never tiring of the expansiveness that seemed to let her heart sail free. She was comforted that there was no one else around, that she was completely alone. But it was only for the moment; her memories were still there—all of it was still there, haunting her, following her, surrounding her, like a pack of hungry wolves, waiting their time to attack and devour her very soul.

40 minutes

quiet mind

quiet body

quiet spirit

 

i awake to a new day

 

Unwashed heathens laughed hysterically at some insipid banter

about liberating literature written by the orange prince of liars.

 

No more would one consider valid this pauper’s false discourse.

 

The former king and queen sailed from Neverland’s sinking shore

to bask in 24 hour light shone on the golden land of promise.

 

Billy died in random gunfire from white robed prophets

as he sang his sanguine song of forgotten redemption.

Mourners fanned the fire with wings of silver and gold

as they flew over his funeral pyre of piñon and sage.

 

I slept outside the walls of confinement to a solitary flickering candle

in a cave by the dead city where hungry ghosts refuse to enter.

 

Only a singular white dove survived to tell.

My pen faces the page,

kicks my ass——fear of the tiger.

Grab its tail and hang on,

You can only fail.

You can only die.

You will only succeed.