Her throne is an exposed rocky spot
at the top of a wooded hill.
The stone admits it is not simple granite
but embodies a silent and patient yet local god.
Delphi enjoys laying on the sun warmed rock
and conversing with the local deity.
Their words vibrate the forest around them.
They speak with that much weight.
Sometimes the forest god joins them
in the guise of an animal
or under the bark and in the sap
of the nearest ponderosa pine.
Sometimes the three of them watch the eternal dance
as performed by the stars in the night sky.
Once I accompanied Delphi to the wooded hill.
We sat upon the rock together.
The local god spoke a greeting to me.
I felt indescribably vulnerable
as if its silent voice was a key
that opened me up for the whole world to view.
As fear nearly pushed me past the edge
Delphi clutched my hand.
copyright © 2021 Kenneth P. Gurney
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