This is the Whey I Think it Was

Twenty-one years ago, give or take a few seasons, before the busy times, G was a stallion out pawing and sniffing and wandering his terrain. He gut-searched and found a perfect high spot in the mountains he loved the best. This spot has a complete all the way around view of the surrounding creosote/mesquite/snake weed covered mountains and hills of his home. The river is down there like a curvy snake pausing on the stones. G collected piles of rocks-cairns-and cut willow or salt cedar poles to be mounted pointing skyward in the cairns. One big one in the middle of the top of the flat space with the total view. Three poles to the east of the middle and three poles to the west. He started one time before I connected with him going up there before dawn and waiting for the rising sun on the first day of summer or fall—the solstice (his b’day truth be told), or the autumnal equinox. As the sun rose he planted a pole in a rock pile so the pole in the middle lined up with the outer one and the rising sun. Over the years and seasons he and I and sometimes others assembled all six properly aligned outer poles to make a full circle marking Life on Earth. Sunrises sunsets came and went marked by our funfolding destinies. This morning was our 21st winter solstice remembrance together.

Words and photo by Laura Solberg