Poetry Magazines - The best collection of poetry magazines online - Simon Armitage

'Spring in the shadows' they say
                                     for Niman Kachina
a long trip fraught with dangers
                            carry messages

                                     from departind spirits
                                     at summer solstice
the Hopi
             come to pluck twigs     the sacred spruce, Salavi
             to plant          at home   in their fields

for Niman       the Hopi festival
             the departing Kachinas
                                                 they celebrate     the festive time
                   they give bread, piki, fruit
                                               & gifts for rain clouds

in a cave    the spring itself     the damp overhanging roof
       topping the rocky ridge     high
            remote      desolate canyon
                             in Black Mesa
       water oozes from walls & ground
                 forms a deep pool
                 northeast of Oraibi, 40 miles
       spots of pine & spruce
                                          mapping the pathway

3 men      according to their nature
3 days by footpath
                             they take no salt
steep       they climb       to the peak
headbands and moccasins removed
                                                       before the cave
the ritual approach
              sprinkling cornmeal at each step
life pattern rooted in soil
              carefully planting the prayerfeathers
     retires back a measured distance
     & smoking rites before the night camp —

3 stages of sunrise
                          time phases of dawn
       of dark purple light
                  the mystery of creation
       of yellow light
                  the lifebreath entered
       of red light
                  man fully formed in the light 
                  proudly faced his Creator
             'That is the Sun' said Spider-Woman
                                               the master weaver
             'You are meeting your father'
                                   dawn —
before the spruce           light reflecting
ancient words spoken
                                  to the tree
he says 'Salavi, we come for your leaves
                   to use for our clothes — come with us'
       & blessing the tree, its branches uncut 
       he plants a prayer stick
                   standing straight & firm
       selects two trees for the HOME DANCE 
                   moves on to others,
says       'we pick a good size — 3ft high,
                         needles show the male tree —
                we carefully look, choose another with female
                         needles — gently pick them up —
                      cutting branches, arms enfold them 
                      take them to our bosoms —
                   we know we bring Kachina spirits 
                      into our village — the Kachina 
                      spirits who bring rain.'
the spruce tree            magnetic power
          branches           outward & upward
          the     cho-cho-k-pi     throne where clouds rest 
          'taking branches of spruce, we harvest
                  will harvest corn from cloud's rain
                         — spirits of spruce, clouds & rain
                                         give this life to the body
          'we offer prayers again to the male & female 
                  invite spirits to the village
                              take part in ceremony —