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Issue # 80. December 22-29, 2003, Los Alamos, New Mexico. Observations and recollections from the Pajarito Plateau in New Mexico. Photos and writing by Jonathan Machen

a nuclear legacy
left for interpretation by the public
an underfunded museum
conveying truth, history and rationalle
to those who wander
into this unusual corner of
northern new mexico
dispensing secrets
of the atomic past.

the unfortunate legacy,
the institution of fear
and insecurity,
the conjunction of science and war,
technology in troubled times

humble mesas once home
to scouts and camp fires
now to scientists
and the occasional movie theater
that sprouts up
just in time for holiday seekers
to immerse themselvs in
mythic fables from far-away lands
gollum and frodo and the one ring
to rule them all
with the only movie theater in town
to captivate them all

scientists and support workers
unaware of their own mythic fables
being played out in real time,
attempting through stockpile stewardship
to penetrate and model
second guess and assume
the most basic processes of nature
how plutonium changes over time,
whether or not the bomb will work
if called upon,
making sure we can kill
before being killed.

packit lying flat in bed
the vertebrae squished
by some former injury
now leaving him prone,
so we eat at dot's without him
before taking off for Los Alamos
Marley fairly sedate, staring
at his big sister who takes
his green rubber garlic peeler
away in a fit of sisterly

the christmas season
not always a calm or pain-free time
we sit in an alamosa car care center
wondering if the green radiator fluid
and rising temperature gauge
portend a snag in travel plans -
our very own orange alert,
the temperature needle rising
to the red zone.

meanwhile the sand dunes
are capped with snow,
all lower elevations dry
in another season of little snow

leaking green fluid
green forester in garage
radiator shot

buffalo dance, tesuque
feathers on antlers, evergreen headdress
three-foot canes to lean upon
crouching, walking like deer in forest

initially the elders come out
facing south, drumming and chanting
now facing north
a fan of feathers on their back
the most significant dancers
wearing a tan buffalo headdress,
bows and arrows in hand,
bells ringing, dust rising

dogs wander around adding
normalcy to sacred space
barking when drums begin

infectious rhythm
moccasined feet on dirt square
pueblo tradition

black face, white tunic
evergreen cane and headdress
young dancer follows

the size of antlers
matches size of dancers

how can a culture
supported by casinoes
continue to dance?

how can one culture
question another culture's
need to raise money?

tradition upheld
well-dressed anglos gathering
to watch sacred dance

drought continuing
yet a second golf resort
goes up on the rez

sketch confiscated
by irritated elder
at tesuque dance

irritated elder
reads confiscated haiku
becoming more irritated

nuclear culture
mixing with pueblo culture
fragile harmony

christmas spirit dashed
in the great divide between
anglos and natives

riding by cactus
north mesa fuzzy kittens
longhorn cattle tongue

get along you drunk old fool-
endearing name for a horse....paige

paige and jonathan
having a creature moment
out at the stables

mountain chikadees
searching for seed in the snow
chilly mountain bath

guttural raven
croaking on cottonwood limb
welcomes cold morning

two inches new snow
slopes empty save for us
deserted skihill

such minimal snow
is enough for a lesson
of telemark turns
skinning up the bunny slope
knees forward, weight distributed
paige falls and falls again
she is determined to telemark
i tell her she is doing great
a sense of peace and quiet
pervades the skihill
so often in winter, full of diesel and crowds
the bunny slope is hers
up and down twice with four times
as many falls

abandoned earthship
in gravel pit near taos
indoor garden dead

in los alamos
the most p.h.d's, churches
and kids in rehab

solo/group kukai
jonathan machen