Travelling
Mountains, lakes. I have been here before and on other mountains, wooded or rocky,
smelling of thyme. Lakes from whose beds they pulled the giant catfish, for food, larger,
deeper lakes that washed up dead carp and mussel shells, pearly or pink. Forests where,
after rain, salamanders lay, looped the dark mess with gold. High up, in a glade, bells
clanged, the cowherd boy was carving a pipe. And I moved on, to learn one of the million
histories, one weather, one dialect of herbs, one habitat after migration, displacement,
with greedy lore to pounce on a place and possess it, with the mind’s weapons, words,
while between land and water yellow vultures, mewing, looped empty air once filled with
the hundred names of the nameless, or swooped to the rocks, for carrion.