by Laura Parker Roerden
On a fine
companioned afternoon,
one never
has to notice
the stars shining
side by side
or a single blade of grass
hunched over others,
now safe
as if
the wind
had thrown its weight,
a thumb on a scale
tipped for mercy.
But in a stretch
when lonely
walks away with
the kitchen knife
bent on things
one can
only imagine
it takes a certain
courage to see
the fingers
of the trees
entwined with
cloud and sky;
the sun slipping
assuredly away
quietly, a final breath
held with all the colors
you’ve ever held,
even briefly,
in your soul,
tiny pearls knotted
on a string, worthy of
a wedding or even
a funeral.
If you dare to,
you might just,
—on a day like that—
remember how
much you held hope
in the eyes of others,
your hands
unclenching,
to an
open palm
and your heart
perched for
flight
like
a bird.
Don’t miss another post: including #FridayPoems and From the Shaker: Best Investments in Sustainability.
Laura Parker Roerden is the founding director of Ocean Matters and the former managing editor of Educators for Social Responsibility and New Designs for Youth Development. She serves on the board of Earth, Ltd. and is a member of the Pleiades Network of Women in Sustainability. She lives on her fifth generation family farm in MA.