breeze
sky
slight under
breathing a
the sun
distant neighbors
across
stand,
giving
horizon
the valley mountains
definition to the
birds call:
past
swoop
animal
swallows
trails
cross
pines
the
reach
slope
dead pine
up
with
the
brown needles slope,
still
standing
flies
clinging
tall
buzz to its
and
twisted
impervious rocks
flit
branches
crowding the
about
unnegotiable
slope
grasses growing up
through the gray matting
of previous years
rotting into earth
fallen wood
beneath my feet
the mountain raises its immense form to support
us all, to challenge
us, and to laugh
at our puny efforts