Sunday, August 29, 2010

two creatures of substance more than us

We often won't stop for pennies, storm clouds, or bags needled on trees,
needing to be collected and recycled.
We won't pull over to pee, sneeze,
or have a good think about what was the name of that singer anyway.
But yesterday, all cars of varying colors stopped
mid mountains, not to observe the historic growth and destruction of rock,
or the pale, small yellow flowers of elevation,
but for the elk.

And not only the elk!
with his heavy antlers which i only know
in the form of low lying branches on old oaks,
with his thick and must be fragrant mane of matted fur,

but also the coyote!
Who jaunted up and past him!
to all of our horror and expectations of disaster!
Cameras were confused, where to shoot!
and the animals apathetically ignored one another
as we jumbled, unevolved in our emotions,
through every possible reaction.

We all stopped,
but the elk never started,
and the coyote continued.

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