the beast stands at the edge of the river
where it wraps around the ancient village
the soldiers slouched in the back of the truck
have fidgety hands, ready for card games,
beer, or pillage
the markers on the road pass by,
another kid perhaps to die
a blazing would-be hero while
the quiet ones glow
somewhere in an alley
the hog grazing beside the river wanders off.
the captain says: men! the mission went so well,
because after all, we are heavily invested
in the services of hell.
then I met a woman
who made me gasp and quiver
but eventually I understood,
that emptiness
was all that I could give her
and yet,
i didn’t want to see the world
go to weeds and rats
mining for old plastic
and eating dogs and cats
the cars all rusted,
the birds gasping for breath,
all the toys broken
or dress rehearsing death.
i was driving down the highway
and i saw bluebelly lizards
sunning themselves in the median strip,
a beercan toss away
hunting for bugs between styrofoam cups,
and marlboro butts.
I saw sparrows eating moths off radiator grills.
they say coyotes eat the poodles
when they come down from the hills
I don’t want to see the world
go to weeds and rats,
i want to see eagles.
rhinos. frogs. and bats
i want to see spring oaks explode
in leaf and light, with a thousand golden
finches bursting into flight.
once there was a hummingbird….
who hovered in the spray
from my garden hose
as i watered a climbing rose.
that’s what I want to see
-not pigeons missing toes
