"Winter Gathering"

Completed June 14, 2009

The late winter sun has only recently

risen, yet I am walking around the lake

in a mixture of snow and mud with

my toes wet and frozen, my face red

and bright. Others who have also been

studying our daily clues have reached

the same conclusion, surprising me as

they continue to appear. It is 9:00 on a

Thursday morning, yet I am surrounded

by large families who managed to gather

quickly, older couples who decided to

face the cold, children who are for some

reason not in school, and fathers who are

for some reason not at work. Together we

are awake and certain, none of us having

anywhere we need to be, each of us hoping

for so little. Most of us consider only the

obvious spots, while others much more

dedicated carry poles for tree branches

out of reach. Together we cover the entire

area, each of us staring closely at the ground,

peeking under grills, feeling beneath benches,

crawling through playgrounds; none of us ever

finding what was all along east of the city

in a different park. Somewhere in the middle

of my own pursuit I watch them and wonder

how many other places they have searched for

such a small reward that may be here after all.

Alana Munoz

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