Mountain goat, muscular antelope,
agile, nimble ability to scale difficulties.

Lamb, ram,
out on a limb,
vista of spiritual ambition.

Walk a rocky ledge.
Craggy rock, rising rock,
risky, rocky obstacle strewn path
taken in stride.
Narrow ledge of present
opens to infinite horizon of possibilities.

Sure footed climber,
shaggy, woolly white,
long face bearded, short tail, long black horns.

Steep slope no problem for non-slip traction hooves.
On slippery ice
dew claws hang on.
Hang on, hang on.
Out of instinct?
Out of curiosity?
Out of belief you can?

Impossible angle.
Impossible elevation.
Impossible precipice.

Forest descent for mineral lick,
salt lick,
natural lick.
Taste of needed nutrients.
Clay.
Out of the way.

So far from home
they roam
known
to need
what we don’t know they need.

Norseman Buri revealed
as divine cow Audhumler licks cosmic salt ice.
Her passions passed on to
descendants generations removed.
Sacred vessels holding our sins.
Sacrificed for our sins,
to appease the gods.