Ammonites and trilobites
embedded in this rocky frame
tell the story of a journey
from obscurity to fame.
As we step this mortal pathway,
knowing not which way to go,
birds still spiral up to heaven,
with the valley spread below.
Once a million creatures swimming,
then upon an ocean floor,
trilobites and ammonites
advance amongst us nevermore.
But within their black impressions,
pushed upon this mountain wall,
do their ripples, curves, and ridges
join them to us, one and all?
Within each cell, a signature
evincing power to quash the dark;
every insect, plant, and creature
bears within the maker’s mark.
The Front Porch Philosopher 