Ladder.

THROUGH the SMOKE HOLE

I

There is another world above this one; or outside of this one; the way to it is thru the smoke of this one, & the hole that smoke goes through.  The ladder is the way through the smoke hole; the ladder holds up, some say, the world above; it might have been a tree or pole; I think it is merely a way.

Fire is at the foot of the ladder.  The fire is at the center. The walls are round.  There is als0 another world below or inside this one.  The way there is down through smoke. It is not necessary to think of a series.

Raven and Magpie do not need the ladder.  They fly thru the smoke holes shrieking and stealing.  Coyote falls thru; we recognize him only as a clumsy relative, a father in old clothes we don't wish to see with our friends.

It is possible to cultivate the fields of our own world without much thought for the others. When men emerge from below we see them as the masked dancers of our magic dreams. When men disappear down, we see them as plain men going somewhere else.  When men disappear up we see them as great heroes shining through the smoke. When men come back from above they fall thru and tumble; we don't really know them; Coyote, as mentioned before.

II

Out of the kiva come

masked dancers or

plain men.

plain men go into the ground.

out there out side all the chores

wood and water, dirt

wind, the view across the flat,

here, in the round

no corners

head is full of magic figures --

woman your secrets aren’t my secrets

what I can't say I won’t

walk round

put my hand flat down.

you in the round too

gourd vine blossom

walls and houses drawn up

from the same soft soul.

thirty million years gone

drifting sand.

cool rooms pink stone

worn down fort floor, slat sighting

heat shine on Jumna river

dry wash, truck tracks in the riverbed

cold sand pinyon.

Gary Snyder