Sandstone Etchings
Kathy A. Wittman 1949 (Tennessee)
I try to discern your obscure messages
as I marvel at your sturdy cliff dwellings,
sandstone etchings of your primeval world;
you wandered as hunters and gatherers,
coming to rest in your new earthly home,
called Mesa Verde, a solid tableland amidst
mystical, chaotic chasms of time and space.
I try to imagine your primordial lifestyles
plowing soil beneath your feet, scattering
the seeds of hopes, dreams, and aspirations
while you steadfastly prayed to your gods;
at the apex of your ancient civilization,
known to us now as your classical period,
you created useful, aesthetic cultural tools.
I try to envision you gazing heavenward,
with childlike wonder,
as you paused just for a moment
to contemplate eternal truths,
catching a glimpse of rare earthly beauty;
yet you did descend from celestial heights,
scattering your ashes into the vicissitudes
of time and space, and your own oblivion.
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Submitted by kaleidoscopickat on May 01, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 43 sec read
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Quick analysis:
| Scheme | XXAXXXX XXXXBXX AXXXXXXB |
|---|---|
| Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
| Characters | 876 |
| Words | 146 |
| Stanzas | 3 |
| Stanza Lengths | 7, 7, 8 |
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"Sandstone Etchings" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 20 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/83435/sandstone-etchings>.
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