the alvar fields             
                          
                                          
 from   north   to   south,  thirty   odd 
 kilometers.  from  west  to  east,  four 
 thousand meters. from topsoil  to stone, 
 a foot or two. no  roots can fester,  no 
             dust can linger.             
                                          
 here  is earth,  clay,  and  sturdy  low 
 plants.  bushes  frame  the  strip.  the 
 earth is  bare in  patches as  large  as 
                you and me.               
                                          
 cross  it  to get to the ocean, or don't 
          to stay where you are.