Paleontologists carefully,
oh so carefully,
dig, scrape, brush, and clean
until fossil bones are extracted
from the surrounding stone.
Dead stone replaced the organic
material millions of years ago
and when biologists study
these ancient fossils
they find more microbial life
than the surrounding rock matrix.
The paleontologists ponder
ancient anatomical topography
with missing bones
and unusual appendages
but never bother to ask the biologists
about the level of life on these
long-dead bones.
What did these miniature mouths
dine on?
A diet of ghost souls?
by Gary Every
Gary Every is the inaugural Poet Laureate for Sedona, Arizona. An anthology of his newspaper columns was published under the title “Shadow of the OhshaD” including the award winning articles “The Apache Naichee Ceremony” and “Losing Geronimo’s Language”. He has two published science fiction novellas: “Inca Butterflies” and “The Saint and the Robot”. He’s been nominated for the Rhysling Award seven times. He is the host of the Sedona reading series Verses in the Village.
Photo provided by Gary Every. It is of a fossil clam he found in Sedona.
Carolyn Clink, David Clink, and Herb Kauderer, Amazing Stories’ poetry editors, are proud to present this month’s poem.
