I wait to take my mood
from the colors my mind finds out here
where horizontal water mirrors sky,
in cobalt blue or cool slate gray.

Time has taken its toll,
making a lake more saline than ocean,
vast inland sea spread across the West
long past, gradually evaporating.

Prehistoric body of primordial water
born thirty thousand years ago,
drew life to its banks, a gathering
place for all, trying to survive.

Today, graceful gulls slide and caw
high above a mundane humanity,
beyond a modern sentient insanity,
so indifferent to nature.

Desert species born in sand,
destined to expire or learn to fly,
now mourn an ancient ocean, a
reservoir of life, slowly dying.

Note from the poet: The Salt Lake has been a private sanctuary for me since 1980. I went to the Lake for comfort and clarity, away from the City, during stressful times, to find answers and inspiration from its serene shores. I researched the history of Lake Bonneville for the 2002 Olympics when I worked on Environmental Programs for the Games. The Lake has been a gathering place for animals and peoples for milennia. It is a sacred place.