Search Party
A foreign tourist was reported missing in the volcanic canyon Eldgjá after she failed to return to her tour bus. She had changed her clothing during the stop and her fellow travelers did not recognize her; nor did she recognize the description of herself. She took part in the weekend-long search before realizing that she was the one “missing.” Iceland Review , 8.28.12 She went looking for the one who was missing. The brightly weak afternoon light panned all live and inanimate shapes sieving finer and finer golds from deep red-browns. She kept her head down in case a key, a ring, an earring, bronze moss rubbed wrong, the living nap imprinted with a misstep. She had so little to go on: a woman, young, dark-haired, not from here. All weekend they walked the old wounds of the volcanic canyon. If you must search for yourself go missing in a place where fire and ice carved battle scars in water and rock. Venture up to the impassable place where water falls. M...
