The Boatman Statue

an immense statue, we haul ourselves
onto the carven gunwales, explore
the uncanny lines of oar and bow,
what is this colossus that appeared
on our canyon floor,
posed as if to row the red rock,
to cross to some land
beyond the canyon walls? for days
we pondered, explored, and finally forgot,
went on as if the statue had always stood there.

until at last those stone muscles moved
and at a pace of a pace a day, the oars pulled,
leveraged deep into solid stone,
propelled across our world.

we climbed inside and now we wait
to learn where the mystery will take us
and those who come after.


—Daniel Ausema