Naiad Trance

The leaves on their trumpet flames         Richter scale inside pulse stems -         into the gorge, la gorge         throat and crevice         of the canyon arroyo.         Walking the slit         into rheumatism earth         the twilight pain         of Paleozoic ice,         Jurassic Age         whence rupture         sculpted rock         River precipice         the afternoon dangling like shadow         beside taiga sun         lost to dark & rain         toward the water now,         ever, and chemical rushing sound.         Chameleon, I would swear         this journey was that,         worse, sorceress on my emotions;         I left pathways contoured with Merlin rock         & trees like Babbitt refugees         from the Nahanni,         fearful Dogrib aboriginals         swarming my imagination         their scalp-locks loaded for bear.         Arabesque boulder,         lavender curls of winter-wind swept moss and         berets of tiny, dead soldiers. The         moisture between         you and clearing.         Hushed forest         an envelope edge         of moisture patterns,         more leaves         in reindeer formation         asserting themselves         in beckoning sleighs and         trance of veined, elfin hand         skirting cracks & fissure gloom.