We Could Have Listened
I made my way
to the river,
heard the song
of a starving body
barely rippling
over black stone.
Man’s* need to
control her flow
may win out this spring
as more ditches are gouged,
and she is flooded
(not in time for
the young cottonwoods
whose roots are too shallow,
but to grow human food
and graze destructive cattle
man must have to eat).
A plague sweeps
through poisoned air
infecting us
One by one…
As I round the Bosque
at daybreak
breathing in grasses
sweetened by last night’s rain
crystals hang from bare branches,
the decaying comfort
of moist cottonwood leaves
mutes all sounds
beneath my feet.
S/he* listens as
I give thanks,
witnesses my Lament…
We could have listened
to weeping trees,
screaming plants
dying animals
witnessed holes
in blue sky,
stopped poisoning
Earth’s precious ground.
Nature tried
to capture man’s
arrogant attention
as he built more walls
between self and other
ignoring mounting
evidence supporting what
Indigenous peoples
have known for millennia:
Interconnection
is Fundamental to Life –
Dead whales
and krill,
the slaughter of all
but three percent
of the Earth’s forests,
missing birds,
unbreathable air,
melting ice –
Some western
gods of science still
protest to no avail.
How many people
Have I heard say
“Oh, it’s sad –
too bad they’re are dying
by the millions”
as if humans were somehow
Exempt.
Unique.
Those of us that heard the cries
were ridiculed.
Branded “ Voice of Doom”.
We could have listened
to weeping trees,
screaming plants,
dying animals,
witnessed holes
in blue sky,
stopped poisoning
Earth’s precious ground.
Has Nature finally made
her point
with an invisible killer
transmitted by wind
that shrieks
a dire warning?
This rampant threat
will reduce human populations,
with the potential to
eliminate a species
by first destroying
those most vulnerable.
Millions may die
before business returns
to normal in
this Straw Man’s world
until the Next Time…
We could have listened.
to weeping trees,
screaming plants,
dying animals,
witnessed holes
in blue sky,
stopped poisoning
Earth’s precious ground.
- “Man” is used to define the human species as he still defines himself… I wonder what happened to humankind?
- “S/he” refers to Nature as being inclusive – male, female. transgender –
Postscript
I have been witnessing with increasing horror and grief the willful refusal of people to accept that any species except our own is capable of developing awareness or consciousness, has its own teleology, or its own reason for being. We use Nature as a commodity; as if every non human species was designed to meet our needs and those of no other.
For much of my life my experiences and my dreams have taught me that all non -human species have awareness and possess an intelligence equal to our own – although intelligence in particular is expressed differently in Nature. It is clear from a lifetime of observations that all living things lead meaningful lives that we know nothing about. I have endured ridicule and derision for my ideas throughout my life.
It wasn’t until this year that I was finally able to let go of trying to shift the trajectory that humans are on through my writing. Ironically it was my relationship with Nature that helped me understand that I had done what I could. Today most of my writing is focused on the fascinating aspects of Nature making my writing once again a joyful endeavor.
In this process I finally got it, realizing that I had it backwards.
Nature doesn’t need us; we need her.
It is humans that are in need of deep healing. Nature will survive as a whole although at present many species are already extinct and so many others are dying. The fact that S/he will survive brings me great joy, and for that knowing in my bones I feel deep gratitude.
The difference between me and most people is that I have known all my life how much I needed Nature to survive. It was this need that turned me into an advocate in the first place.
Sadly, we humans don’t seem capable of living sustainably. (The exception, of course, refers to Indigenous folk who developed a culture based on shared resources and sustainability; pockets remain) I am just as much a part of the problem as anyone else, although I do carry awareness of my complicity and grieve deeply.
There are many ways to look at the current pandemic. Many see it as the “enemy,” Nature at her worst – The “man against nature paradigm” is alive and well. Personally, it is as frightening to me as it is to others… I do not want to die from this virus and I am one of the people at the highest risk –
But I am also aware that Nature is ultimately focused on the big picture (although she also has a deeply personal aspect), and the human species is a failed experiment as of now. Nature exemplifies the necessity of Interconnection and Community. Humans have failed to hear her anguished cries…and so I see this pandemic as a “natural event” – a way to begin to redress the horrific imbalances that we have created as humans at the expense of all of Nature. Nothing is personal here. Human induced Climate Change will no doubt do the rest. How ironic. It’s only a matter of time.
Today in the northern hemisphere we celebrate the turning of the seasonal wheel into spring – the vernal equinox – normally a joyous time for many – but not this year. Instead, we are fearful and isolated in our homes … Outside my window the wind is howling and churning up so much dust that with emphysema I don’t dare go out. The raging wind also seems to be reminding me of the spread of this pandemic through polluted air, which fueled the writing of this prose and post. In this area BLM was supposed to begin its first of its seasonal controlled burns of New Mexico’s forests today – yet another irony. They will have to wait for the wind to go down to begin burning even more trees and spewing up more pollution. The lungs of the Earth are disappearing by the Billions.
(Meet Mago Contributor) Sara Wright.