Nose Pressed to the Glass - Nov 9 2021

 

Nose Pressed to the Glass

Nov 9 2021

At home in the world.

Except we all feel like aliens

some of the time,

as if stranded

on an unfamiliar planet

bewildered and ungrounded.

Nor was earth

always as hospitable as this

through its 5 billion years,

and there's no taking for granted

we'll continue to have a place here.

Tornadoes flatten

earthquakes happen

drought scorches the land,

fires ravage

rivers rise

oceans die of warmth;

fetid water

lapping the shore

under low grey skies.

People avert their eyes

retreat into tribes

wage war over scarcity.

Betray each other,

even those they love.

So not at home, but peering in

nose pressed to the glass.

Perhaps a wanderer asking for refuge

a seeker to understand.

Perhaps vilified and ostracized

and banished by force.

Or perhaps simply ignored,

ghosting through the world

unseen and unheard.

At home in a world

you must make for yourself.