The Shape of One

If you gaze in the Serpent's face you may find
the nervous eyes of a Marmot or Mouse
Lips brushing the curve of the heart
A scaly, furry, whiskered kiss
(the finned, the furred, the feathered
All my Relations).

Serpent twists, curls, and layers
Embodying the Sacred Spiral
Patterned with music notes
flowering into sun-drenched lovers.
Anchored, a sea-faring chord
A high note, a wooden
pockmarked vessel. This
vessel contains the Universe. This
vessel sails the Universe. This
vessel traverses and holds and embodies
this Universe.

Firm rooted legs, tree trunks like wind
Rivers pouring through lashed raw hide
Flesh and bark radiates the sound
Swirling knots become The Sound
New ideas, entities erupt/blossom forth
Spurring lolling bobbing canoes
painted with the union of Night and Day.

These branches scrape but cradle the Moon
Continents beaming
Lunar beckoning
These branches trace our blood vessels
These branches become our lungs.

Predator and prey energy dance in the spiral
Overcoming dualities, showing
Two sides of the same coin
Two faces of the same...
without a name
Shifting
slippery, fog-enshrouded
Capturing all our dreams
How did
Serpent knit this spider web
Weaving "realities"
Playing on our fears
This circle extends into disintegration
Melting, charred, blowing away
Scatter these skulls but not even bones can deny
The imprint, the portal of an awakened Third Eye.

Feathergreen billows and bellows
Which way is up
Is this a root or a leash
Does it nourish or chain
And I ask,
Can we not both
feed and be fed?
If I put you first
can I never get ahead?

But how far
can we really get
If I am one face and you another
without a name
Do you not know
There is no you
without me.

Embracing dualities
Notice the form,
the curanderos say.

Is plant medicine raising consciousness
incompatible with national symbols?
Only when East becomes West
when West knows East
When temples and spades and lotus
flowers and shrines
reflect into oneness
reflect on our oneness
Resonate forth, echo the round
Life rings galaxies wide

Are we so different
Are you able to define
Paint alive a love song to the world
Can you draw me
the shape of one?