Have you ever climbed a butte
in the fog
with the sun’s rays slanting
visibly
through the trees?
Have you reached the top,
leaving fog and tree behind
and seen a sea of white clouds
stretching away
in all directions?
The treetops of other
high places
poke up through the mist
and you dream of a ship
that could sail in this sea
and bring you to another of the
islands
in the clouds