a nature poem
this was supposed to be
a nature poem
i had good intentions
of celebrating this earth
having lived in the
mountains
majestic off the back porch
i wanted to rejoice in its
fecundity
its embarrassment of riches
glacial pool, cavern, fold
and thrust,
erratic
black-footed ferret, swift
fox, grizzly bear,
pronghorn
greater sage-grouse,
whooping crane,
mountain plover
boreal felt lichen, prairie
fringed orchid,
townsendia daisy
instead, i think of
stewardship
of how much we lose
even when we discover
new species, or entire
ecosystems
i think of the northern
white rhino
surrounded by men with guns
saddened, even shamed
the recognition of failure
the question of why
we didn’t stand guard
earlier
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