I know a Kaibab where Paiutes pummeled ground
with their paints, soft soled ponies with hand of warrior
on their shoulders. Creation’s canvas canyon
whispers rise to remembering ear as ancient echoes
from beneath hushed skirt and ponderosa’s hem,
there came a son with language scrolling river rush of words
that winged on feather-sharp slope of colored stone
drawn up like mist to rainbow make
an arch of hope on further lands
where dry lips crack and breasty mounds
slump in wait for such recompense
as slurries from a prism’d sky.
Horse-sweat climb and shadowed lace on journeys taken,
metronome drop of hooves to mark the meter
of soliloquy formed like gem deposit in mind of man
soft-handing reins so path is purchased by holy fate;
sight and sound, of revelation’s ancestral hum
that makes sense to this man’s gathering
of the holy and the harbored that is unearthed
to be spread out on buckskin plied
by patient scraping of his hunter’s trove.
Poetry is revealed through cleared sight, and by means
of sifting through the common and the clumped is separated
from its overlooked commonness
to become testaments, even treasures, when handed to us,
who wait for Moses, who know what path to take,
what bush to sit beside, what exact phrases we have need to know.
From spectacular rim of canyon’s drop, the Phoenix rises
with wisdom clung between its claws; not commandments, rifling
in press and push of wingspan, but poetry to feed a multitude
of dry-mouthed protégées who wish for ways to embellish
the changes in geography through soulful rearrangement of senses.
Author notes
Kaibab Plateau’s meadows and forests of dense ponderosa pine and mixed conifer to the brink of the spectacular north rim of the Grand Canyon, 1,000 feet higher than the south rim. Kaibab" as the Paiute Indians called it.
A tribute to http://allpoetry.com/kaibab
In a list
- Written for Pen Friends and A Pack of Poets • next in list
- Beautiful Words by Beautiful People I Know • next in list
- Honorable Mention • next in list
A contest entry
- Invite Only! For Those I Consider Some Of The Best Writers On The Site ! by Cupcrazy.
3500 points, ended September 18, 2008, 17 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 13 of 13
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This is amazing and it made me cry. Oerhaps because it reminded me so of our friend, Rich, and his gentle mountain spirit, but also the language, the alliteration and emotion overflowed onto the page for me...This is just exquisite...
Lynda
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A beautiful entry, the words just fall from the lips to create wondrous images and emotion. Gorgeous tribute, vibrant and alive and a wonderful take on the prompt. Hugs, Bunny
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I'm not sure how I missed reading this the first time I went through these poems. This was so wonderfully thought out and articulated. Your spiritual and natural imagery were so wonderfully suited to this honor your bring. A lovely tribute.
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Rich imagery and beautifully expressed.
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Poetry really doesn't get
much better than this masterpiece of depth, feeling, heart, and the whole shabang! Imagery that leaves whispering zephyrs drifting through the mind of the readers hair as they take the smooth flowing journey that this piece sets one to ponder, long after the words have been read. One of the best poems I have had pleasure to read. Brilliant penning, Carol, my hats off to you on this one, great work!!
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I've always wanted to see the canyon... as even in pictures there is something about it that leaves me breathless.. a sense of timelessness and earth..
This has that same feeling..
beautifully done
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Awesome
This is a beautiful piece of work. Your words bring your thoughts alive! each stanza a rich tapestry of poetic vision which comes so easily to mind as each line is read.
I can well visualise the awesome splendour of meadows and forests. Beautifully penned and well worth the visit.
Katie
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A stunning tribute to one of our best. What I really loved about this was the sound, the soft firmly spoken sound that held me when I read this aloud.
Oh my - A pleasure to have read this today. ~Pamela
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This is so cool...
So many highlights but two in particular:
"metronome drop of hooves to mark the meter
of soliloquy" love this image.
and
"rifling in press and push of wingspan, but poetry to feed a multitude
of dry-mouthed protégées who wish for ways to embellish
the changes in geography through soulful rearrangement of senses." for image and meaning.
"who wait for Moses who know what path to take"...
should it be "knows"?
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Such a work of sacred season, I feel inspired reading this...and so it goes....
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Excellent
Very powerful and creative write. So full of amazing images. A very skillful creation. Best of luck in the contest.
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I think if there's one person who can do Rich justice, it is you, Carol. This line says it all "there came a son with language scrolling river rush of words". Both of you are gifted....immensely.
~ Nicolette
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This is a beautifully written piece, my friend!
"there came a son with language scrolling river rush of words"
a genius line if I do say so myself.
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