the heart of a cave

it is 600 million years old. it hangs in the belly of a cave. it takes 100,000 years to grow one inch.

caves are subterranean places. there is a crack on the outside. an explorer went spelunking with a candle and an 80 foot rope. he discovered this. curiosity discovered this.

i think of miners and the deep places on the earth where people dig for precious resources. the resources in this womb are well contained. we are not allowed to touch or take. only to see and wonder.

crystal formations take the shape of coral, sea anemones and seaweed. once this too was an ocean. an ocean dried up in the center of america. 600 million years of giving birth to a heart.

i go spelunking without consciously being aware of why. there are dark places inside my psyche that i am curious about. i know that the shadows on the wall are just that: shadows. i know that the heart is waiting for me here too.

legends are made because of this. myths are grown because of this. i am made because of this.