Alone

Shivering under the light of a pale moon,
slaying another part of our identity in cold despair,
screaming in the shimmering, cold light of dawn,
all are acts of desperation,
a constant reminder of death's shadow,
that ceaseless apparition that lingers in the dark, unknown places.

We pray mantra after mantra,
yet the fear returns again and again,
shuddering in the images of restless dreams,
the flesh wants to return to its birth womb,
but the soul cannot,
for ours is the way of torment and suffering,
standing naked, knee-deep in awkward silences,
shivering in the continued disclosure of uncomfortable truths,

godless and alone.

By Lloyd Michael Lohr
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Mt Esja is the most prominent mountain within the capital area after the unification of the municipality of Reykjavik and the Kjalarnes County in 1998. Now it certainly has become the city mountain. Its highest point was believed to be Hatindur (909m), but later a higher lying point, 914 m, was proclaimed nearby. The mountain was probably created during the early stages of the ice age, about 2,5 million years ago, and stacked up with alternating strata of basaltic lavas and hyaloclastites, which have been metamorphosed and show a variety of colours.

Within its limits are highly interesting geological phenomena and historic sites. According to geological findings, the volcanic drift belt crossed the Snaefells Peninsula about 6 million years ago. The volcanic activity at that time was similar to the one now experienced in the present volcanic area. Rivers, and later the ice age glaciation, carved the country and removed 500-1000 metres off the lava plateau. Intrusions of rhyolitic rock were created and sedimentation covered the base rock. Volcanic activity started again about 2 million years ago, mainly in the Ljosufjoll, the Lysuskard and Snaefellsjokull areas. This activity was unlike the earlier volcanism, because of the lack of drift and the different composition of the tephra. The Snaefellsjokull area extends from Mt. Maelifell in the east and the headland Ondverdarnes in the west.

Reading on July 2, 2002 on Mt Esja
Reading on July 5, 2002 on Snaefellsjokull

Osk Oskarsdottir--will play a couple of her songs and improvise with the poets.
Michael Lohr--Poet and scholar from USA. The reading will also be a celebration of his new book of poems published by Beyond Borders in July.
Birgitta Jonsdottir--Poet from Iceland will read a poem written by her and other great poets from iceland that are no longer with us, theme oaths to nature or mountains.