by Laura Parker Roerden
Go to the nests, she said.
They are no longer hidden
by the leaves.
They are round,
and have born tiny birds
now strong enough to fly.
You’ll know them by
their shape, like
hands now wrung.
But the nests are high,
she answered,
and sway in the wind.
Do not be afraid.
From there you will see
the wounds of the land
and be rocked awake.
Laura Parker Roerden is a writer, conservationist, and part-time farmer. She is the founder of Ocean Matters and serves on the boards of Women Working for Oceans and Earth, Ltd. and is a member of the Pleiades Network of women leaders in sustainability.