Ways of Looking at my Fossil Collection

I.

The current whirled around
The scaly legs
Of a Spinosaurus
A triumphant fisherman
Whose long teeth sank into a sawfish
The river stained red

II.

In a deep cave
Set high in the Romanian mountains
The only moving thing
Was the chest of a sleeping bear
Its cavernous lungs filled with air
As the beast lay dormant

III.

Wind swept across the plains
Grass brushed against
The smooth armor
Of a large armadillo
A walking boulder
Amid a sea of green

IV.

A cry filled the valley
As the Saltasaurus bellowed
The sound vibrating through its long neck
This noise meant life
For she was laying a clutch
Of dozens of eggs
Pebbled volleyballs
Dropping into soft soil
To continue a legacy

V.

Darting through shoals of fish
The sleek Ichthyosaurus
Flashes of dark blue and dull gray
A dolphin-like form swimming circles
Around the shimmering silver

VI.

The seal drifted in the sunlight zone
Rays of light shining into the ocean
Casting its shadow
Down into the depths
Where a shark lurked
Translucent eyes gazing upward
As its mouth opened ever so slightly
Revealing wicked teeth

VII.

All is silent in the taiga
There is little motion
Save the careful steps
Of a wolf
Nose inches from the snow
Following a trail of scent
His movements are soundless
Leaving behind only subtle indents
In the vast, white blanket

VIII.

Sharp talons slide into the sediment
Followed by three padded toes
Their weight pressing into the mud
Dilophosaurus comes for a drink
Its curved fangs filter water
Through its hooked jaws
By the time it leaves
Its tracks are left behind
Drying in the sunlight
To be forever perfectly imprinted in rock
Traces of the dinosaur’s ghost

IX.

Late afternoon
The lake is alive with activity
A small bit of chaos
As birds come to show off
Fluttering of wings
Water splashing
Frantic honking
Racing across the beach
A mosaic of tridactyl footprints remains

X.

Through compound, enigmatic eyes
Flexicalymene watches as the crinoids sway
Delicate flowers
Painted in a brilliant blue backdrop
They darken
A shadow dances across the seafloor
The slender shelled orthocone glides above
Held aloft by hollow chambers
Like a zeppelin
 

"Ways of Looking at a Blackbird" by Wallace Stevens provided a basis for this work.