SWEAT LODGE PREPARATION

He's standing in the shallow pool

At the bottom of the spring's jogging course

Down off the mountain

Jay is moving rocks

With his wiry patient total engagement

That goes on hour after hour

Pools ledges steps appear

As if the mountain happened here

To make what mountain springs do

Here and there make

He does it the mountain's way

And he does it his way

And the boundary between

Is lapping like water

And ledging like stone

Jay the master gardener

Works for mountains and springs

When no one else is asking

Tallish with leather and rope wrapped bones

I never saw him take hold of anything

He didn't move

Or talk above the rippling waters

When leaning near an ear to whisper

Would do more

To pull me or most of us

Stomping around and shouting important stuff

Into the voice of the mountains and Jay

Making a place to step onto the mountain

Into the stream