gift of john wesley powell
water in the zuni world
polychromatic white and brown
these fantastic birds
and here grazing below
the familiar pronghorns
where zuni have a middle world
the world below them empty
this pot holds all creation
all the world the zuni knew
its air earth fire and yes
that dream of clear running water
and nothing disturbs this world
not even my breath this noontime
forming its own small country
on the glass display case
above that parched universe
the one world of the zuni
© John Knoepfle 2003
