Along the Creek: Land Art in a Time of War

Dazzled by golden canopy,

chance upon a snake on the trail.

Gasp Oh!, jump up, then over it.

Stomp its skull

or marvel how fast it disappears

into rust red needles, leaves

in sand no undulating line behind.

Tear up the duff and grab its tail and spin

or walk into a mitigated clearing, gasp Oh!

as you behold thick bark strips of cottonwood

swirled into a human-sized cone.

Climb it, chuck chunks at birds, set it afire

or dub it chocolate kiss, onion dome,

and quickly know the artist’s hands

are just the same as winds in grasses

piling useless, boring things, let’s go

or singing waters weaving sticks for trout

to stop them in their flow, just to hear

the trout gasp Oh! and rest in shadow.

with thanks to Eric Raanan Fischman,

Allison Wonderland and Leslie Henslee