LAKE OF FIRE.

Azores, Sao Miguel, Portugal

the queens and I soaked our pale bodies for hours in hot sulfur springs at the base of three active volcanoes.

--

 The archaic village of Furnas, possesed a history of algerian pirate attacks, notorious for stealing rams before returning to the Barbary coast they came from..

Identifying as a Ram myself,

I felt oddly at peace surrounded by fire & the idea of past mutiny. 

As dusk drew near, 

we took the only road leading home along Lagoa Das Furnas 

"LAKE OF FIRE" 

The five of us attempted to scale the wall to the chapel, My own personal attempt leading to bleeding palms n' broken nails. 

The structure was built on a promise to God. A wealthy man that lived on the island oathed that if God would heal his ill wife, he would build a treasure to thank him by the name of "Nossa Senhora dos Victorias" ...meaning Lady of Victories. 

However, death without regret will soon take us.

leaving the corpse of the man & his wife asleep forever inside the gothic walls.

PEWS N' PRAIRIES.

BEFORE WE LEFT THE BADLANDS;

We stopped for an early service at former "store" bar" now church.

Wranglers & their wives slowly filled the pews while  

I watched Tessa hang up casual conversation with christians; the boys hung their cowboy hats on curtain rods.

 

I watched her mind drift to places we would soon visit;

I was fortunate enough to steal her angst that morning along with the occasional prayer.

--

her head found its place on my inner arm as we closed our eyes &  prayed the rain away with the others.

she lead me through forests to lakes & caves, 

singing along to the out-o-tune strum of my thrifted guitar, 

I bought a few towns over.

My mind followed the echo of her voice to places we would soon visit...

We stumbled upon wild donkeys. 

We ran with them from one prairie to the next

 

"It went unsaid, 

but I could hear our thoughts..

wishing we were as wild as they were."