By Rich Dustin
I’m a union activist, legislative council representative, part time unpaid organizer. I’m particularly bothered the earth is dying and thus this poem…
unforgiven…
I wanted to go looking
for the earth this morning
I have missed it–
its smell of moist must
the arid taste of chalk coating my lips
and the feel of it between my toes
as I collapse onto it
all the while begging its forgiveness
I’ve read about it quite a bit lately
about fissures of subduction and waves of recoil
extracting their toll upon humanity
And then the aftermath
residuals we bring upon ourselves
of and by our own ignorance and greed
placing in the way
of this earth’s stretches and yawns
those mechanisms of ease and convenience
that can meltdown and cook us
and everything else from the inside out
I wanted back the earth I thought I remembered
the one I barely can cling to
as it hurls itself magnificently
spinning in tune with nights and days
and seasons around a star
that is doing the same as the universe
it all resides in continues to unravel
But maybe I’ve never known such a place
as just that earth
Maybe I’ve only dreamt of times
of communion with the source
unaffected
undisturbed
unblemished
How would I really know it if I saw it
How far would I have to travel to find it
Illustration: Fragile Earth, Painting by Dr Taha Malasi Artist’s statement: “This painting is about earth and us. We are happily digging a hole in Noah’s ark and we expect everything will be fine. The painting shows planet Earth revolves and a (human) baby obliviously sleeping on top. It shows extinct species and many others on their way. Powerful governments, businesses, and famous scientist betrayed their integrity and profession for few dollars, deny global warming, putting the earth and all those on it in danger of extinction!!!”