in the beginning

                                                                              sculpture by Giovanni Strazza

psalms of fledglings braid delicate lavender chords 

through temporary thoughts, quietly fleeting 

as dusk slowly paints various hues of night upon the sky ...

dry grass rustles with unseen movements,

a sudden sense of caution as predators casually stalk their prey

stones keep memories deep inside their crevices,  

precious revelations of ancient moments  

when they were liquid heat swirling within the cores 

of mountains rising so far above them now 

as they lie muted, fractured and scattered upon the valley floor

chiaroscuro swaths of shadow and light 

distract from Fibonacci's schemes and screams of laughter

just beyond our reach of comprehension, of sight and sound

where were we when the world was new,

when life began to unfurl so graciously?

were we too occupied with conquest, even then?

separated by forests, deserts and oceans, some turned left as others veered right — 

did concentric circles ever mend themselves or do\they reminisce alone, 

a single strand searching darkness for meaning?

how did low moans, fisted wails, secretive murmurs 

and knowing grunts ever stretch to become languages, 

to be spoken aloud, yet remain misunderstood?

have we gone too far, yet not come far enough

to save ourselves from our thundering hooves?

has music rejected melody only to embrace echoes of defeat?

be still for once and listen ...

do you hear the thrum of your own heartbeat 

and that of another? can you hear the violent thrust of blood

as it surges through narrow tributaries of veins,

seeking vibrant exhalations of tides as they slowly carve the shore?

can you be silent, be ever vigilant 

as clouds drift, then shift slightly in the sky,

etching its breadth with secret hieroglyphs?