Meanwhile the world goes on

Earth Day—and I may well dream
of the view from the stars
or the birds, what we look like, doing
down here; and surely
the birds care no more nor less
than the neighbor, scrape-raking her deck

why I sit here, empty

in the sun, in the thunder
convulsing waves of fear, hate
like fish schooling
whooshing this way and that
slosh and drown—but
let’s bring it back down
to a point, to all pieces fitted
together in this landscape

why I sit here, empty

or like a barefoot god
granting water or death
dividing root from root—
a momentary purpose
in these quiet hours, enough
to breathe this air, and care ?

why I sit here, empty

 

NaPoWriMo prompt for Day 22 is Earth Day. Title from Mary Oliver’s “Wild Geese” (sneaking in on yesterday’s Poetic Asides prompt), which also includes these lines that got me thinking: “over and over announcing your place/in the family of things.” Form is a bop, explained nicely here.