Rock Time

Running at the feet of mountains,

my eyes trace Her sinuous lines like a lover.

Pausing at the scars jutting sharp elbows

where the universe left an imprint. 

A sudden impact like an ekg scan

forcing an aggressive deviation 

from the once steady, smooth path.

Yet surrounded by swaths of soft chapters 

stained in stone.

Some wider, others thin.

Like tree rings spiraling out.

Telling tales of abundance,

and years of drought.

I count the layers of experience buried deep,

revealed only by cuts, canyons, cliffs.

It feels intimate, 

peering beneath the surface,

seeking to understand Her story,

more fully appreciate the journey it has taken 

to rise to such a peak.

I’m in awe of the patience, resiliency, 

the humility of rocks.

Ancient wisdom forever recorded in the 

earth beneath our feet.