Jake's Flea Market

before blondes before brunettes before redheads came
to this country were
there deerskin robes with fringes and beads and bells worn
by women who faced the fire orange
crack of light at day rise
in a season between leaf bud and leaf fall were
there women who faced the fire orange
crack of light that divided
the dark sky from the darker earth were
there women who faced the fire orange
crack of light that expanded
‘til stones and gopher holes came
to the landscape ‘til pale green came
to the long prairie grass ‘til copper
and wide noses and high cheekbones came
to the faces of the women while
in their hair the night remained