Almost everything

I forgive myself almost
everything being
involuntarily
human and thereby
malignant
in private dissection

Of course the small sharp
cruelties of childhood
before empathy
before I knew

but nearly all
the rest too being
involuntarily
human and thereby
giving no less
than I get

cowardice and egoism
the selfish choice
the cutting word
the careless action

I forgive myself almost
everything but
the garter snake

lounging in the long cool grass
that slender sinuous form a marvel
of architecture the patterned scales
an effortless intricate beauty
in the shrinking world
of benign things

that perish by
our presence

Unseeing behind the mower
I heard its bones tumbling
through the blades the
percussive dismantling of
that perfect necklace

before I saw the soft ruin
I heard those pearls
unstrung

Tell me:  Why did God make us
when it was going so well?

Today’s global climate strike kicks off a week of events urging action to address collective human harm to the planet and other species who call it home.  This map identifies locations for today’s protests;  mouse over pins for details.  Local readers:  The Colorado Springs event is 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at City Hall, 107 N. Nevada Ave.

 

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Tags: animals, climate change, environment, forgiveness, global warming, God, nature, planet, protest, snake, spirituality, wildlife