Never Alone
(After Lucy Campbell’s painting “Singing Over the Bones”)
You are never
Alone so long as
You connect with
The nonhuman world.
Their spirits travel
Beneath, above,
And beside us.
We might never
Know where we’re
Going, but the wolf
We travel upon is
Guided securely by
Primal instincts that
Can be confusing
For those in human
Form. Don’t just ride
The wolf, dear—
Marry him or her.
Can you hear the
Flapping wings of
Your other familiars?
Your owl—she’s as
White as the glowing
Moon, carrying your
Snake self for you with
Her feet. The raven
Is guarding your back
And keeps the wind
At your back in
Balance with the
Wind in your face.
Be unafraid, for
The swallow knows
More than the rest
Of you and is keeping
Watch tonight. Be
Always nude with
The animals so that
You may come in
As direct contact
With their softness
And their warmth
As possible. Never
Mind the bones
Beneath you, strewn
Among the greenery.
Nature is always
At work.
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