Corn is great, on the cob or otherwise, br but before corn in the ear there was life. br Fire is holy especially for Zoroastrians, br but before fire too there was life. br Before the bowstring and the flint arrow sang, br there was life. br br The word is great, br yet there was life before the word. br We can't turn romantic and say br we were into bird speech or river-roar then, br into the silence of frost br or the language of rain. br But forest speech and swamp speech br came through easier to us. br When lightning crashed, br the cry of the marsh bird was our cry, br and we flung ourselves to the other branch br like any other baboon. br br As winter whined on windy cliff, br we shivered with the yellow grass. br In winter-dark a hundred eyes br flared yellow in the jungle scrub. br When seasons changed, blood coursed with sap br and flowered in meadows. We were at home. br Nor eyes nor bat cries bothered us. br What if we didn't know br a bat assessed reality br from the ricochet of its cry? br br Though there were no words, br fear had a voice with many echoes. br Worship was quieter, adoration br spoke only through the eyes or knees.