When Coyote witnessed
the Creator making this world
he thought
I will make a world like that
for myself

And so he formed a copy
of every living thing
from the mud
from the branches
and detritus that he gathered
there on the banks
of the Columbia River

But all of his
carefully wrought figures
elk and deer
fish that sparkle in the shallows
black bear
who hides from two-leggeds
the wings of the air
who mingle with the leaves and branches of the forest
all melted back into the mud
of the riverbank
at the next rain

Undeterred
Coyote set out
on a quest

He found a new country
a pleasant land of vast expanse
with every manner of good things

When Coyote came into this country
his hunger
was greater than myth
sharp as the edge of a knife

And there he spied Crow
on a high cliff
with a mouth full
of deer fat

A plan quickly formed
in the caverns of his cunning

Coyote called out
Chief Crow
I am told that your voice
is as sweet as spring water
as pleasing as a woman
in the night

Sing for me
Great Chief
and I will reward you richly

Crow is a vain creature
and being called Chief
gave him great pleasure

He preened
opened his silver wings to the sun
and sang his rough song
but in a muted tone
in order to save
his delicious morsel

Coyote called out again
Oh Chief!
That wasn't much.
not like the stories
I have been told.
Please sing your song again
with feeling!

Crow rose to his full height
****** his sharp beak
into the air
and gave full voice
to his raucous song
for the sake of every crow
on earth

We know the end of this tale
because Coyote taught it
to our ancestors

The deer fat fell to the ground
and Coyote
trickster
scarfed it in an instant

Hunger dampened
he ambled along the well-beaten path
to find the next fool

And that is the story
of Coyote and Crow.
Keep your pride in check
or be the next one laid low.

They cling to the earth
like lichens
in deep meditation

Lophophora williamsii.
Fallen warriors sprinkled
throughout the blackbrush and mesquite
there in the valley of the Rio Grande.

They whisper to you
as you roam that arid slab of ground
and spin like Van Gogh
in the night sky
while you sleep.

They call you this way
and that
lead you in directions
you did not intend.

In the dry washes
beware
rattlesnakes wait in every thin patch
of shade

and at night
lightning switches the lights on
and off
and on again.

Once the spirit
of this unassuming succulent
enters into you
accepts you
uplifts you
the sky opens
and reveals the pulsing heart of
God's creation
speaking softly in tongues
heard only at the beginning.

It is glory then.

hours drip slowly
onto a taunting empty page
the soul’s depictions brushed simply

a palette of whispered words
dry as if it were thoughts painted
onto a tightly stretched canvas

it's been said so many times before
                   similes,...
     form clots at the tip of the quill
                    words,...
finally surrendering to gravity’s flow
as the ink scribes the paltry ruminations;
flooding the same stifled notions
another way into another moment

metaphorical sleights of hand
incarnate onto the absolving
       sheet of parchment;
traces of past now’s ensconced
       in considered words

        miles of silent reverie,
                     spun,...
        like a spider reprocessing,
        carefully savoring
        each fine silk thread of web,

        spinning the womb of time...

© H.A.  Rivers 2012 … All Rights Reserved

I'm afraid of dying alone.
I'm afraid of how I'm always the one
Who reaches out to loved ones first.
Like they're more comfortable apart from me
Than I am from them.
And it becomes a chore, a conscious decision
To not obsess over how long it's been since we've spoken,
And if it means they don't like me or they're just busy.
I'm terrified of everything shortening my life span
Or the quality of the time I have left.
How severely I'm impacted by my own wilting body
And how many goals it means will be left unticked.
Sometimes when it's night, and the world is covered in silence,
I wish to myself that I'd never existed.
Such a waste to be given life and to spend it all
On illness, misery and loneliness.
I'm scared of dying alone,
But I'm more scared of living alone.
And I am living alone.

When Faith and Love landed at the chapel Wisdom was waiting for them.  "Love and Faith I've been waiting patiently for the two of you.  I've spoken with Loyalty on my communicator.  He and Knowledge will be here shortly and then you can pledge yourselves to each other" said Wisdom.  Just as the three were speaking Grace walked out of the Chapel.  
"Hello Love and Faith it's about time the two of you showed up" said Grace.  "It's good to have a star for a friend who's gifted in all the arts" said Love.  Love threw her arms around Grace and gave her a big squeeze.  "Lets get you in your wedding dress.  If you'll follow me to your dressing room we can get started" said Grace.
As Love and Faith followed behind Grace, Knowledge and Loyalty landed at the chapel.  Wisdom received Loyalty with a strong handshake and said "Your wife to be is already changing in her wedding dress.  May I say she's as beautiful as the morning dew.  Lets get you changed" said Wisdom.  After a few seconds of changing Loyalty, Wisdom, and Knowledge stood at the altar waiting on Love.  
"Wow Love you look absolutely beautiful" said Faith standing to the right of Love.  "Yeah Faith is right.  You are stunning.  Now remember don't have the doors opened leading to the altar until I start singing" said Grace standing to the left of Love.  "I know Grace.  C'mon lets go" said Love as she stood in front of the mirror.
Grace took her place at the altar with Loyalty, Knowledge, and Wisdom and began to sing.  Shrouded in light Love enters the room.  She timed her entrance just right.  The light that Love emitted filled the entire chapel.  Love stood before Loyalty and a chapel full of wedding guests holding a bouquet of pink Lilies and wearing a crown of Olive leaves.  The words that walked out of the mouth of Wisdom lingered in the air like leaves floating on the winds of serenity.  "Devoutly righteous we come together in the presences of the Almighty to join in holy matrimony a pairing to be respected by all.  Love will you have Loyalty to be your husband?  Will you nurture him, care for him, and watch over him as long you both shall live?"  With eyes full of Joy Love answers "I will."  
Wisdom looked at Loyalty and said "Loyalty will you have Love to be your wife?  Will you stand by her, protect her, and provide for her as long as you both shall live?"  With eyes full of courage Loyalty answers "I will."
"By all things holy the bride and groom may kiss" said Wisdom.  As Love and Loyalty came together their wedding guests erupted with praise.
Love turned her back to her wedding guests and threw her bouquet of pink Lilies over her head.  Without thinking Faith leaped into the air catching the bouquet before it landed in the hands of Mercy.  Faith looked at Truth and winked her eye.  Love turned around to see who caught the bouquet.  "Wow you sillies let Faith catch the bouquet" said Love.  With a pout on her face Mercy said "We didn't know she could leap like that."  "Hey you got to do what you got to do" argued Faith.  "Lets wrap this up so me and my wife can start our new life" said Loyalty.  "File this in your memory.  Our new life started when you asked me to marry you" said Love.  As Love and Loyalty gazed into each other's eyes Wisdom tells Understanding to grab the cage with the two doves.
"Now if everyone would follow me outside" said Wisdom.  
On the outside of the chapel Wisdom said "Just as these doves soar into freedom may your marriage soar on the breeze of Serenity."  Wisdom motions for Understanding to release the doves.  Spreading their wings the doves take flight.  "Now it's official" proclaimed Faith.  
Faith stepped in front of Loyalty and Love and said "Now close your eyes.  We have a surprise for you."  "Come on Faith do we have to?" asked Loyalty.  "Loyalty do you want your surprise or not?" questioned Faith.  Loyalty and Love closed their eyes and waited on their surprise.  "Ok now open your eyes" said Faith.  When Love and Loyalty opened their eyes they were happy with what they saw.  "A NEW NEO 7000!  I THOUGHT YOU BOUGHT THE LAST ONE!" said Love.  "I did after we all bought yours I bought mine" said Faith.  Love gave Faith a hug and a kiss on her cheek.  Love thanked Faith and the rest of her friends.  Loyalty grabbed Love by her hand and said "I thank all of you but it's time for us to go."  
The newly married couple got into their transporter and took off.

Written by Keith Edward Baucum