What does Lizard know?

“On the path ahead are sandpits, craters, and fields of sharp rocks…” —NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover, March 17, 2022

What does Lizard know?

Stone time?

The internal Sun; the eternal Dark…

Perhaps.

What do I know?

You? Us?

Stone time is your time, too. … You are alone, here in this narrow, secret place. You are not alone, here in this narrow, secret place. —T. H. Watkins

Photos: Petroglyphs, Oregon Northern Great Basin, Douglas Beauchamp

NOTES
—ROVER
—T. H. Watkins, from “Not by Human Measure” in Stone Time, 1994
BELOW

—Simon J. Ortiz, from Land and Stars, The Only Knowledge. in ISLE, 1998.

With offering, all around outside.

With offering, all around inside.

This is the knowledge we have.

This is the existence we have.

In thankfulness, we give and we know.

In thankfulness, we receive and we know.

—Simon J. Ortiz

Slow Fire

look at me
i am not a separate woman i am a continuance
of blue sky
i am the throat
of the mountains
a night wind
who burns
with every breath
she takes 

—Joy Harjo

One Village, Many Hearts mural (detail) by Kari Johnson, 2018, Eugene

Tracing path

kindled blaze

sunrise then set

leading into light.

Stealing fire red

pearling raven’s beak

kindred eye

black night eye.

How many languages

have a word for fire

following fear in translation

desire.

No two flames the same

every ember becoming…

…

Reverse the image: Racing past

Daring fire

Lavablack unseeing simmers

Every flame one flame

Prometheus, outdoor sculpture by Jan Zach (1958), UO. (Image-color-shifted)

Child

You are in a blind 

desert     child 

your "too-muchness" is written 

in the Torah 

child    it is written

in the pit 

written in black fire 

on white fire 

deer star 

black star 

third star 

who sees

— Jean Valentine

NOTES

—Photos public art/street art, poem Tracing path, Douglas Beauchamp

—Joy Harjo from the poem Fire in What Moon Drove Me to This? (1980)

—Jean Valentine, Child in The Cradle of the Real Life (2000) 

Below:

—Sandy Denny from Who Knows Where The Time Goes (1967)

Across the purple sky, all the birds are leaving

But how can they know it's time for them to go?

Before the winter fire, I will still be dreaming

I have no thought of time

—Sandy Denny