“Aravaipa Canyon”
By Edward Abbey
We see no mountain lions this evening.
Nor any of the local deer,
although the little heart-shaped tracks of the former
are apparent in the sand.
Javelina, or Pecary, too, reside in this area;
piglike animals with tusks,
oversized heads,
and tapering bodies—
they roam the slopes and gulches in family bands
(like Apaches)
living on roots, tubers, and innards of barrel cactus
on grubs, insects, and carrion.
Omnivorous,
like us—
and equally playful,
if not so dangerous.
Any desert canyon with permanent water, like Aravaipa,
will be as full of life as it is beautiful.
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