Crow came by
bringing news of the forest,
of salmon asleep in branch water,
beaver at work in the creek flows
and rooted beneath the ancient trees
the peace of the earth gathered in pools
still and deep beyond measure.
Beside the old well
grandmother spreads her blanket,
her shells and stones laid out
in circular patterns,
her hands weaving stories
of what has been and what will be.
Crow carries her heartbeat,
his black eyes and feathers
shaped by her in the long ago,
with a message to be alert
and remember her beside the well
as we follow the river
on our journey to the sea.