HOW COME
the same day an airplane was dashed
to bits in an empty field
and bombs exploded on small children
a gentle rain fell on the garden
pattering on the broad leaves of the squash
and watering the thirsty beets,
and while an earthquake
shook a south sea island in its heavy fist
scattering lives like wooden blocks
the sun came out
hanging rainbows in water droplets
that strung themselves along the fence
like Christmas lights?
Listening to the news
you can’t help but realize the world
is a frightening place to be
except right here where an ordinary lily
opens its vibrant orange throat.
9 comments:
Beautiful. Why indeed?
We'll never know, but we have to wonder. I do.
We will all get our turn unless we become better citizens of this beleaguered world.
I so get what you wrote.
I keep my world deliberately small.
It is far too frightening and baffling and downright abusive out there.
I don't write about it anymore as I get far too depressed.
I'd rather look at my lovely risen from the dead maple.
XO
WWW
Ahh but it's always been like this and always will. In our world.. in the animal kingdom.. for plants.. micro organisms.. planets.. stardust. Things perish.. others thrive. We're the only ones (as far as we know) who are gifted enough.. or cursed enough to have that awareness.
I love your poem, Pauline, which captures the whys of the world. And I agree with Hilary. Blessed or cursed with awareness ---
I like HIlary's qualifier - as far as we know - but I'm of the mind that we aren't the only ones. We just have a language that our species understands so we communicate our knowledge. I am sure plants and animals have their own language that we just don't (or don't want) to listen to and between them they are quite eloquent.
And yes, it seems to be the way of the world - the fear that there's not enough leads to greed and greed leads to hate. We just may be the most foolish of species.
The unimaginably horrendous and the glorious in one breath.
Have you noticed how it’s man who causes the unnecessary bloodshed?
As if nature cannot be cruel enough all by itself.
this has been heavy on a lot of peoples mind this week....reading through all the responses to the tragedies of our world...it can be overwelming...and you have to be thankful for where you are, and do what you can for everyone else....
What a beautifully expressed post that makes us all ponder the heartbreak and futility of war and malice. We all need our sanctuaries of security.
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