The Ancient One Waits

While the world dances above
dancers, dreamers, heroes with hearts on their chests,
insects humming, stars falling,
radios playing songs no one remembers
the crocodile is still.
Ancient. Armored. Unhurried.
Jaws parted like a question
the universe never answers.
Everything rushes.
Everything spills and shouts and swirls
in a fever of color and noise.
And yet the old thing endures,
belly to the earth,
older than all this beauty,
older than all this chaos
waiting,
as it has always waited,
for the world to quiet down.

Object number

015.0991