Emerald
Ash
Borer
Of
The
SoulHATE
Social Commentary
A Personal Call To Action
Increasingly,
We live in a time where
Personal responsibility
Is becoming
A prerequisite for
Survival.We can no longer
Look the other way,
Ignoring
The chronically depressed
Co-worker,
The angry, outcast
Teenager
Or the reclusive
Neighbor
Quietly amassing
An arsenal of guns,
Ammo and camo
That far exceeds reasonable
Recreational use.Humans are perceptive
Beings.
We often sense when
Something is awry,
But choose to go
On about our business
Instead of intervening
In an appropriate way.This isn’t about
Launching
A Salem witch hunt
Or violating
Peoples’ rights.It’s more about compassion
And reaching out to help.Simply stated,
If we DON’T act,
They WILL.
Il Est Si Tragique Encore Une Fois
Nous sommes tristes pour nos amis Francais.
Starlings Are Black Cardinals
Like a mother hen,
I fuss over
and am protective of
the birds
frequenting our feeders.In the fall,
I monitor the nectar
to assure a steady supply
for the hummingbirds.
If a regular hummer
is absent for a few days,
I worry something has
happened to it.I chastise the squirrels
when they empty
the peanut butter log,
for they are depriving
the nuthatches and
woodpeckers.When sparrows swarm
the sunflower hearts
feeder and wipe it out,
I fret about the hungry
goldfinches.Of course, in reality,
birds forage for food
quite effectively
on their own.
They won’t starve
if the feeders run dry.I must admit my concern
doesn’t extend equally
to all birds.
I have my “A” list:
woodpeckers, goldfinches,
nuthatches, cardinals,
hummingbirds and chickadees.If a bird flies into a window
or is devoured by a hawk,
I hope it’s a starling, sparrow,
dove or grackle,
not one of my ‘favorites’.Unfortunately,
it’s not such a big leap
to apply similar
judgmental thinking
to human beings.If a sixteen-year-old
drives her car at high speed
into a light post and dies,
we are devastated.When a homeless man
freezes to death
sleeping under a bridge
in the winter,
there is sadness, but
not necessarily the same
gut-wrenching pain.We all could do a better job
of treating starlings
like cardinals
and
caring about
our fellow man.
A Return To An Abnormal Normalcy
September 11, 2001
Act like
Nothing happened
They say
Don’t be afraidJust go about
Your business
Like
Any other daySleepless…numb…
Feeling
Out of sorts?Join legions
Going
Through the motions
In the midst of
Unending commotionMove along now…
There’s
Nothing
Here to seeA moonscape
Of debris
Five stories highThe collective
Dreams
Of thousands
Billow
Into the skyAn eerie glow
Lights the night
Their souls refusing
To take flightWelcome to the
Big AppleOnce the city
That never sleeps
Now reduced to
Empty streetsThe natives are
Restless
They
Toss and turnThe rubble pyre
Continues to burnBut go on about
Your business
It’s just
Another day
SeptemberThere’s Even Bigger Fish To Fry
Without question
The untimely
Demise
Of Cecil the lion
Represents
Yet another black eye
For mankind
As Nature’s conservator.But,
If even a
Tiny fraction
Of the outrage and attention
Evoked
By this event
Was directed toward:World hunger
OR
Poverty
OR
Child & elder abuse
OR
Gun violence
OR
Genocide
OR
Human trafficking
OR
Mass murder
OR
Global warming
OR
PollutionJust think what
Might be
Accomplished.
Psst…The World Is Out There
Moraine Park in Rocky Mountain National Park
A family of five was seated next to us…
a man, woman and three boys aged 10 to 16 or so.They had snagged one of the coveted tables situated
by the picture windows at the Sundeck Restaurant
in Estes Park, Colorado.After perusing the menu and placing their orders,
all five simultaneously fired up their electronic devices
and got to work texting, tweeting and gaming away.A deafening silence fell over the table.
Not a word was spoken.Meanwhile, outside the window within clear view were
snow-capped mountain peaks, aspen leaves fluttering
in a gentle breeze and planters overflowing with
vibrant blooms.Not a single glance was cast in that direction.
The food arrived. Everyone chowed down.
A word or two wafted above the clatter of
knives and forks against plates.With dirty dishes cleared away, the electronic devices
reappeared in a flash.One more brief bonding session with the glowing screens
completed, and they were up and out the door.Sunday dinners aren’t what they used to be.
Close The Door On Violence
When we lack
Meaningful connections
With others,
It opens the door
To do them harm.Those existing
On the fringes
Need to be drawn
Into the circle…
To find a
Relevant purpose
And direction
In their lives.Otherwise,
The lone wolves
Will continue to
Howl
For attention,
Robbing society
Of its
Peace of mind
And
Sense of security.Inclusiveness
Has the power
To heal.
Exclusion can
Kill.
Out of My Write Mind 