Between a Lake and a Hard Place.

Barren and alive.

I sit on a sandy death hill.

The mountain tree side.

Unreachable.

Perhaps only by swimming.

I'm so close.

I hear the birds.

Sometimes fish jump.

Dead sticks, shells, and rocks.

I sweat. I hear voices in the air.

Doi Tao Lake, Thailand. Photo by N.Popowich. 2026