i see you, bighorn sheep
on the steep mountain ledge and crevice
your hooves fitting & climbing
through rocky terrain, stealthy as poet's muse
[what is so grand about you?]
you carry your large horns, smouldering spirals
as stately crown as your rich summer brown coat
your watchful gaze is steady
on the wide field of grass & clover & sage
oak and fir trees dot along the unpaved roads
where predators prowl waiting
for your missteps & fall
[can you remind me what is so special about you?]
you are patient as the slow moving clouds
watching the blue sky expanding, unfenced & unguarded
as your wild heart, beating to the call of northern winds
there is a sacred
pact between you
and the mountain gods
[i respect it and wait for the clarion call]
Posted for dVerse Poets Pub- Creatures of the Blank Space, hosted by Dora. Years ago, we visited the Banff Mountains in Alberta, Canada, where we saw the Bighorn Sheep by the mountain sides. They are spectacular creatures with massive horns.
