Grandpa and Great Salt Lake by Dane Christensen

You have been around as long as I can remember.
You have seen more than anyone else.
You steady us with a grounding masculine energy.
You anchor a diverse and thriving ecosystem.
You are a miracle of nature and a gem in the desert.
You give us a rich quality of life.
You are our identity.

Today, your waters are running low.
You give us sustenance for life,
But we have not done enough for your health.
Today, we are gratefully reminded how you keep us alive.

You are my Grandpa.
You are my Great Salt Lake.

Dane Christensen is a documentary filmmaker in Salt Lake. Growing up near the mountains, his relationship with GSL was enjoying the powder snow it brings and detesting its stinky lake effect. It wasn’t until GSL was in crisis that he realized how this relationship went much deeper. His verse is part of irreplaceable, a collective praise poem on behalf of Great Salt Lake.