No matter
No matter the glaciers melting
No matter Australia burning
No matter the hundred-year floods
No matter the rising sea-levels
No matter the monster hurricanes
No matter the record droughts
It’s only “The invisible worm /
That flies in the night”
that gives us pause
Only a sniffle, only a cough
that shuts down the smokestacks
grounds the airline fleets
sends colossal ships stumbling into port
leaves public squares deserted
clears the air of smog
reduces the carbon footprint
maybe delays Climate Armageddon
Why not before?
Why did we ignore what we could see with our own eyes?
And why do we again worship
an invisible god?
Invisible worm for sure, John. Thank you.
Fantastic John, you covered it all and asked the only question there is to be asked.
Powerful poem John!!!!
John, beautiful, every word counts. In admiration. Megan
Thanks John. I have been reading some Barry Lopez. He says his education was very good but he realized prejudice and ignorance was still powerful and he would need to open doors himself outside of that framework to become the writer he yearned to be. So I think prejudice and willful ignorance are part of the answer to your poem Add greed that has so much teetering on chaos.
Stunning poem, John. Deep question powerfully rendered.;