why paddle the stench of the desert sea
why burn your eyes in the salt and sun
why explore emptiness in a desolate place
why tempt fate in the waves and the wind
why labor from the faint morning light until dusk
why leave the comfort of home for a bed of salt
why care about such a pitiful wretch
those are the questions that were asked of me
my question is how can I help the blind to see
I went to see a friend of mine
of years not just a few
aged, defiled, and dignified
she calmly laid in her bed
you heard my voice she said to me
by the faint smile on her face
breathing in a sweet fragrance
bringing life into my veins
there my eyes found comfort in her grace
and solace for my soul
there I feasted from her labor
like millions of strangers that pass her way
she asks nothing in return
although her body was withering away
there the wind and waves washed my skin of strife
making the calluses soft
there I woke at first light in her glow to bask
and watched the stars sparkle like jewels upon her face
there I found nourishment like others whose hearts starve
as their hands carry more than they can hold
there I found beauty in the midst
of a place the worldly despise
like Chief Sagwitch
who once called her marshes home
she has a story tell
the lake gave him all that he needed
and he wanted nothing more
a voice that was pure but drowned out by the flow
of pride and greed that covered her shores
for every voice deserves to be heard
and every story told
and not from a foe or for another’s gain
but for the essence of a soul
that is the reason she called to me
a person with the voice of a gull
to leave my plow and join a choir
of voices that vibrate the air.

Scott Baxter is an avid photographer and kayaker. Listen to Scott reflect in detail on his 2021 circumnavigation of Great Salt Lake on RadioWest: The State and Fate of the Lake Part II.