In That Land There lives A Phoenix; He lives in The Tree Beneath which Sit two Young Lovers —A Gwotian-style “three-two” poem inspired by graffiti seen on a wall in the town of Standing River. (The author is presumed to be an “Other Dweller,” perhaps one of us, as the poem is rendered in English. In the common language of Gwot, the poem’s structure and sound would, as we all know, be radically different.) “three-two” poems rely on patterns of syllables and the conjuring of both a specific image and emotional state. * The people of Gwot are like pigeons The people of Gwot are like eagles. They write their names, In shadows on walls In shadows on mountains. —An excerpt from The Book of Many People as recognized by the Library at Haiga With Vultures, believed to be a predecessor version of The Book of Many People as recognized by the Library at Haiga Stands Farthest West. Both versions of the book are attributed to the same author. * It comes as no surprise that the people of Gwot and the people of Haiga enjoy a long-standing peace. Both nations, Gwot and Haiga, are nations of artists. In Gwot, it is said that the name of their land is derived from the song of a particular, gregarious, sometimes quarrelsome bird. Their distinctive calls can be heard throughout Gwotian forests and the cotton prairies to the west. Though Gwotian folklore is complex and contradictory, it is commonly accepted that the corvid ‘gwot-bird’ (a descendant of Terran crows) is the poet’s muse. It comes, as no surprise then, that a land named for a poet’s muse would be a land rich in poets and, indeed, artists of other disciplines. Gwotian three-two poems are said to mimic the patterns of blaring ‘gwot bird’ calls. This probably explains the Haiga’ii habit of affectionately referring to Gwotian poetry as “squawking.” * I saw two lovers on a wall, today. I saw a phoenix in a tree, above two lovers on a wall, today. In the town of Sanding River, graffiti and poetry often sit together, like two lovers beneath a phoenix in a tree. *** Oh dear! This ‘other world’ is taking on a life of its own. I had no idea that it was going to become whatever it is that it’s becoming. It began as something to accompany my post, “Runners” and…well…after 4 posts, its still going strong. I’m quite sure that there will be more to this, and as always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting. All artwork done with The Gimp, either from my own photographs or brush-work. The Human silhouettes (as well as the oversized bird in a tree) are actually the EgyptSilhous font, downloaded from 1000fonts.com, if I remember correctly.