“The West” is a poem from Dr. Gordon H. Clark’s papers. If you notice any typos on the typed document please email the administrator at douglasdouma@yahoo.com
**Items from the unpublished papers of Dr. Gordon H. Clark should not be considered his definitive statement on the particular topic addressed. These papers are being provided for educational value. For Dr. Clark’s official positions consult his published writings.**
Unpublished 36. The West (typed)
Notes: A poem of Dr. Gordon H. Clark on one of his favorite topics: the western United States. Published anonymously in “The Thorn” at Covenant College. c. 1980. I was not able to locate the published article but have found the text at the Sangre de Cristo Seminary, Clark Library. – DJD 27 Nov, 2014
THE WEST
In the car below the kitchen,
Engine running, packing done,
We our suitcases will pitch in,
Then drive toward the setting sun.
At fifty-five or seventy,
Or even at eleventy,
We cross the Kansas plains,
With windows shut at summer’s heat,
The cool air blowing on our feet,
And likewise when it rains,
Down into Carlsbad’s caverns deep,
And through Juarez’ Mercado creep,
Then north to Sante Fe,
Of course at White Sands desert place
And Albuquerque’s Spanish base
We stop along the way.
To Mesa Verde toward the west
And Arches at their very best,
We drive to Dinosaurs
Then up the Colorado stream,
Mt. Evans, heavens, like a dream,
We pass our happy hours.
A dream, a dream, say it is not,
Or bury me and let me rot.