Arboricide Song
A man with an axe called to his accomplices
from beneath the flow of night’s dark tap;
a bird screamed, a lyrebird. It flew into a tree,
up to where … Read more
Nature
Saunasphere
It’s so hot, your brain sounds the alarm—
orders your body to pump water
from interior reserves,
hydrants in the blood, muscles, kidneys,
and brain itself—through dilated vessels
to the … Read more
The Old Banyan Tree
Scorched, but still standing
the media said of the massive tree
in the heart of Lahaina after fires
blazed through Maui so swiftly, the sea
offered the best chance of … Read more
Precious Gemstones
Precious stones held a symphony
In the darkness of the sky.
Music played all around.
Gemstones cut by God above,
Impressive to the naked eye.
The stars glittered for all. … Read more
Aloha I Ka Hamau
Ka’u mau keiki
Holo! Holo!
Holo i ke kai!
Aia ma luna ou ka hanu o ka deragona,
Ua hoʻolapalapa kona huhū i kou mau ʻāina kapu.
Holo! Holo!
Holo … Read more
Scordatura
Image by David Chorlton
Another Sunday best spent
indoors with a view
of the clouds building up and putting on
a monsoon face
only to empty their pockets
and dissolve. … Read more
Mick Jagger’s Birthday
Image of the sunrise on my street by David Chorlton
A long first look
glides down the street toward Four Peaks
and the awakening sky. It’s a friendly
view; sun … Read more
To Jeremiah, Who Mourned the Calamitous Earth
“They covered their heads . . . because of the stricken soil.”
Jeremiah 14: 3-4
You knew nothing
of spinning planets,
the ocean’s cyclical fevers,
meanders of the trade winds,… Read more
Seeing Myself as a Mayan Mother
Thousands of years ago,
Mayans built superhighways
connecting impressive cities
later abandoned, now buried
beneath miles of jungle.
Like the dinosaur demise,
scientists can only speculate
what happened to the … Read more
Betelgeuse Is Dying
Betelgeuse, we are told, is dying –
on the verge of a supernova
dimmer, now brighter, shape-shifting
toward its own inevitable end.
Will it become another “guest” star
like those … Read more
Careless Consequences
The seas are alive,
Swimming with life.
Dolphins leaping with grace and precision.
A seahorse clinging to the neon green seaweed,
Manta rays roaming freely and undeterred.
Great whales breaching … Read more
Drought-Break
For months, nothing but rain in California.
Rain in California, as unexpected
as a savant’s first symphony, as kindness
from a forgotten foe.
The oaks lean in, slump tons
of … Read more
UN Climate Panel’s Last Words
My hands in dishwater, sinking
in suds, earbuds in—so I don’t disturb
the house with news that claws
its way into my brain and scratches
its talons across my heart, … Read more
Another End of the World Type Scenario
Red tide washing on a red state.
Red tide every year getting bigger.
Jump in, say the couple from Kansas.
Jump in, say the kids on spring break.
Not so … Read more