Elephant Mountain Ode

In a time of ice rivers and flyash
you laid your belly down
to shelter us from the shrieking north—

we who arrived so long after osprey,
deer and kokanee—at first,
you barely noticed us.

Generations brought soul tokens
and arrowheads to your shores
so you released bear and coyote

to guide them through the seven spirit veils.
If you leave this Valley of Lost Souls,
you leave forever changed.

Miners with blasting caps repaid you with fire,
scorching you to bare sticks and hide.
An occasional hiker was sacrificed

from Pulpit Rock, sermonizing Nature
on the glories of human progress.
Yet you refuse to roar up from your bed

and smash our reedy impudence.
After all—Buddha learned
his waking sleep of stars at your feet.

—from The Charlatans of Paradise, 2005 New Orphic Publishers, Nelson, BC

—Nelson sits on the West Arm of Kootenay Lake, nestled in the rugged Selkirk Mountains of southeastern British Columbia, Canada. Known as "The Queen City" it has 350 impressively restored heritage buildings from its glory days of the silver rush.