smudges raze the head of some dimly lit dinosaur, smiling in profile. charcoal smears, sinless and serene in a cobalt sky. a turnip or a heart with its head on fire beside the bathroom faucet. wax, oil, and pigment painting the brim of the bowl where words are made. 230127 ... past the sage burned and the smoke rose into the sky. sisters and brothers stood defiant on the very steps of power as yet another injustice went unpunished. - the sky threatened to open on the students gathered at dumont's retreat on the north saskatchewan. the river carried away stories as they were told, from the rockies to the frozen seas. they cupped their hands and rubbed the smoke into their skin, their hair. - a mixed crowd stood in the conference room, the tables pushed against the walls and the ventilation fans running on full. settlers in suits and Indigenous people of many nations stood shoulder to shoulder as the sage infused their clothes, binding them for a day by scent. 230127 what's it to you? who go blather from