Last Dance of the Sage Grouse

by Elisabeth Robson

Thank you so much to everyone who submitted art and poetry for the Last Dance of the Sage Grouse. We were privileged to witness the sage grouse at their lek for the second time since we founded Protect Thacker Pass to protect this special place. It is an amazing experience to watch them dance―quietly, from afar, hidden behind sagebrush so as not to disturb them―and heartbreaking to know that if the Thacker Pass Lithium Mine is built, the sage grouse may lose their lek, their home, their mating grounds.

Click on any of the images to enlarge.

The featured image is by Siri Neppelberg.

Sage Grouse Dancing

Quiet!
Listen to the Sage Grouse dancing,
bird powwow
every feather a prayer,
what’s needed is
land and air
otherwise
there’s nowhere to
Quiet!
Watch the Sage Grouse dancing,
chest flexing ancient muscles right now,
seeking a mate
so as to perpetuate
the dance of the Sage Grouse
Sage Grouse dancing,
so tell those wannabe lithium miners
their kids can’t go out on dates,
no prom either, no dancing,
no one to relate to
no friends outside the coffee shop
unless they let the Sage Grouse live,
let them be dancing for a mate
so as to perpetuate
the dance of the Sage Grouse,
Sage Grouse dancing

tell those wannabe lithium miners to
Quiet the destructive machinery
so we can let the air breathe
let the waters breathe
let the Sage Grouse breathe,
let the land tremble
not from the rumbles of metallic destruction
but tremble naturally when the Thunder-Beings come
saying
wake up, everyone!
wake up, another season in the works,
the true work of living fully with the seasons
not some 9-to-5 destruction company,
we need the company of the Sage Grouse people ―
where do you think we learned to dance?

Every feather a prayer,
what’s needed is
water, land and air
let the Sage Grouse live,
dancing for a mate
so as to perpetuate
the dance of the Sage Grouse
Sage Grouse dancing
                              dancing
                                          dancing
                dancing
                                 dancing

     ~ Mankh (Walter E. Harris III)
               Allbook-Books.com

by Alex Eisenberg