The Four Elements Dislodged

Added 23 June 2003

Fourteen to twenty-two million years.
The age of this mountain.
In all that times it has perhaps
seen a skirmish or two,
but never a war.

The same could have been said
of any mountain range
ten thousand years ago.

But most have seen
the Four Elements dislodged now.

Earth turned to liquid,
. molten at the center of a bomb blast.
Water turned to vapor,
. in the head of the battle.
Air turned to fire,
. inhaled and engulfing.
Fire turned to a tangible wall
. that turns all to ashes.

These events come to this place
only as my burden,
heavier by far than
any other load I carried here.
The source of my great aching.

If from this pinnacle one sees
sky rain fire upon the earth,

it will be time to hope for a god
and pray for ten thousand years ago,
when mountains knew nothing of war.

Written 22 March 2003
Mount Ajo, Arizona