Yellowstone

Yellowstone

Montana opens and closes
the curves of a snake king curled
on its flat and swollen meadowbelly
swell, swing, snake's
head lifts itself to
the wet and wheeling sky
howls
   we be wild.

there is a vertebra in my knapsack
the size of child's fist

   1965 my dad came young and his soul yawned open
   and closed.
   learning early the granite gap:
sky and scraper.

a snake trembles through the grass-
he is the June majestry
and my belly obeys

we see and swallow the whole

this is the bowel-deep motionless sounding
the water swimming and the snake
stroking land

take only pictures and leave
only when opened, only when deeply close.