Nazca Lines
Ancient lines
Hardened lime
Latitudes and longitudes
Worn with time
Zoomorphic designs
Phytomorphic shapes
Monkey, spider
Human, snake
Simple but rare
Counter constellations
Other explanations
Geology of astronomy
A map to guide
Perhaps to hide
Flying we see them all
Religious cosmology
A celestial call
Ceremony for the gods
Rituals forgotten
People vanished
Yet the lines remain
The Nazca Lines
There are approximately 900 different geoglyphs on the Nazca Plain in Peru. What is the most amazing feature is the relative straightness of them; some of which extend for hundreds of feet forming giant pictures that can only be fully appreciated from the air. The lines are not painted on the surface of the desert. They are shallow burrows in the dark pampa stone topsoil. By scraping away several inches, the light colored sand underneath was exposed to air, where it eventually hardened and added a permanency element. Some say they were “drawn” by the ancients as religious symbols, others say they were an appeasement to the gods in hopes of water, while still others claim they are alien landing guides. Either way, the mystery has attracted many writers, photographers, and scientists to the Nazca plain to research them.
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The Nazca Lines have always fascinated me. The phrases in your poem says it all, Ralph. Very well penned. I wonder if we will ever know for sure how they managed to draw such accurate images in such a large scale. Amazing !
What a great subject for a poem, Ralph. These lines are intriguing and I have always wondered as to the actual reason they were made. Good verse.
Read more
http://www.thegypsythread.org/2016/06/29/nazca-lines/
My gosh ! I learned something new – the wooden stakes that may be surveyor tools is a very likely answer to my question as to how they were able to construct such large images so accurately. And I think I have not seen The Astronaut before. Great article, Ralph.
Nicely done. R. J. – and educational too. The pictures helped bring the poetry to life. Thank you.
A fascinating subject and a wonder, their exact meaning and purpose our quandary. Well penned and expressed Ralph.