By Patrick Theron Erickson
Artwork by Susan Peters
To make way
for new verities
the old verities
will have to go
making light of them
and neither hide nor hair
old or new
like stepping into
the Cave of Altamira
with lighted lamp
in hand
The bison
will lead the way
the bison, the deer
the stick-figure human hunters
larger than life
in the flickering cavern
though their bones whiten
somewhere ice ages since
Picasso is right
After Altamira all is decadence
–we have invented nothing
What’s to invent?