A Note for Johnny Coral Hull
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“Mountain”

“the mountain” “has spoken” “its language” “inaudible”
“part of me” “knows” “a great snake” “has passed” “part
of me knows” “geological history” “the geography” “of
the present” “I know” “these little things” “the

mountain” “has spoken” “yet” “it doesn’t speak”
“directly of them” “what can I tell you” “of the
language” “that exists here” “which enters” “me?” “only
to say” “this land” “is speaking” “its inaudible”

“present” “itself” “it tells me” “everything” “there is to
know” “about myself” “each moment” “the language”
“is different” “the same” “here” “I can listen for hours”
“I can be myself” “but” “I cannot tell you” “what is

said” “only that” “by speaking” “this mountain“
“describes itself” “if only” “I could” “tell you” “archive
this perfection” “if only” “it could tell us” “of itself” “as
we become it” “your need to articulate” “drove you out

here” “tonight” “to the place of my windy skirts” “my
heart as wild as goats” “this is the mountain view” “the
interaction” “of things” “between” “each other” “the
tablelands” “the raveling underground water” “what

does the mountain do?” “it whispers” “it sings” “but it
has no voice” “it splits” “the storms” “in two” “before
they reach” “the house” “it holds” “my children’s
laughter” “within” “its fat and fleecy sides” “nestled” “in

the woolley butt” “and cypress pines” “without
mountains” “a giant” “has lost its voice” “the land” “has
gained its silence” “more silence” “than it needs”
“mountains” “like cows” “without them” “the wind”

“would blow” “down the valley” “like a tide that never
retreated” “it would sound lost” “relentless” “the
mountains” “channel the wind” “so that it cuts” “through
the valleys like currents” “the rivers of wind have been

here” “I threw my life into them” “and was released“

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