Driving up the dirt road into the mountain campsite, this is not the behavior of a beetle. The car was home for the next two weeks, and I felt free. Caught between an unfulfilled dream and a status quo future. If I could use the hazard lights to warn myself- life is about to get bumpy. No one can help me start the engine.

Here in the Sierras, the altitude almost cures bondage.

Why do mountains tease?
The landing cracks the body,
Fire sickens the tree.