The Prayer Wheel

deep in central Bhutanese foothills in a broad glacial valley
along with creek flow through open bottomland
sacred black-necked cranes
complete fall pilgrimage from Tibetan plateau –
they touchdown with wings extended and a swoop and a yaw

from our p-o-v at the visitor center along the tree line
they land in plain if distant sight (aided by telescopes);
their choice of landing spot is open and clear
that they may spy lurking predators

this cloistered land nestled between the peaks of the Himalayan Range
and the plains of the Brahmaputra River;
this epicenter of Asia, surrounded by behemoths in a cycle of billions:
cacophonies of busyness and survival in megalopolises and villages,
on plains, plateaus, deltas, mountains; in forests, deserts, valleys, riverbeds,
with landing strips, railroad tracks, roads paved and not,
that criss and cross, mount and slide, lead and follow

this unconquered land, nearly inaccessible so free from invasion,
beyond Aryan, Greek, Moghul, and Sino thrust:
the force of empire nudged by greed but unable or unwilling
to penetrate this terrain protected by geography

these high-elevation flyers from high plateaus
must struggle between the highest peaks
to the cultivated Phobjikha Valley for a more temperate winter
and the barley harvest, evolving dependency on adoring humans

who at Gangtey Monastery above the north end of the valley
celebrate their arrival at the annual festival
drawing folks and visitors from near and very far
in devotion and curiosity and hopes and prayers
that their cranes and their southern habitat
maybe preserved in the climate of our century,
from natural predators on the ground
and the global predation of civilization

they suit each other:
mystical creatures and humans
in natural harmony
in the eye of the Asian hurricane.

2019