In a world divorced
from knowledge that cannot be
parsed or proved
a world where gangs pillage
and politicians harden lines
make us porous
so we can commune
with cedars
receive messages
from sprites
and saints
and spiral like galaxies.
In a time when the old squander
and the young
have no use for prattle,
open us to ancestors’ wisdom
not about how to lard
bank accounts
or smash ceilings
but how to dance in evil’s shadow.
In an age of rising seas
and cracked deserts
expand our living beyond mansions
beyond gated pettiness.
Quench our fears enough to share
even with those we call
our enemies
a cup of tea,
a slice of bread.
So so beautiful!
Cathy Smith Bowers