Petroglyphs

By Steven Wade Veatch

Desert varnish 

drips down rocks

marking time.

Spirals, stars, 

animal shapes, 

sacred symbols,

pecked on rocks

from centuries past

reveal a silent song 

and the shaman’s path. 

A breeze whispers

through sagebrush 

while a sunbaked lizard

rests on a rock. 

A hawk, flying high, 

disappears into the canyon 

where echoes of ancient 

chants draw me

to where I 

belong.

Fremont petroglyph panel, Dinosaur National Park and 

surrounding areas. Photo by S. W. Veatch.