On this cold December night
the words drop on the paper
easy as the light
from the sliver of moon
hovering over these lands
where Hopi Navajo Anasazi
dwell off the side of cliffs
drawing the breath
in fits and gasps
like the first laugh of a child
where coyote crosses roads
near first second and third mesas
and the old villages mirroring
the belt and heft of Orion
I see you shaman
with the spark of your eye
drawing us closer
to the gathering places
the waves of your hair
strands ladders to the old tales
and sacred halls of Cibola
Aztlan Quivira and Eldorado
Set the dinner before us
there are many to feed
as your children come
for the final blessing
once more before
turtle glides to the bottom

JOSE FAUS is a writer, visual artist and performer based in Kansas City, MO. He is a founder of the Latino Writers Collective (LWC) and sits on the boards of the LWC, UMKC Friends of the Library and Charlotte Street.