Standing on the precipice of sweeping change
as man-made societal structures shift rapidly,
the environment prodding and nudging us awake,
sometimes gently and yet, knowing humans ignore
too much, ramping up its game, rocking some
with earthquakes and volcanoes, dumping deluges
of water or snow upon others, and what is my tether?
How to stay grounded amidst the greasy landslides
of uncertainty; how to reframe existence
while striving for a saner, more inclusive world;

February has only begun, as water falls from eaves,
melted rooftop snow in what is still midwinter,
tiny birds hunt and peck amidst seed left over
from their larger cousins this morning, the sun
now warming ground enough to entice them out,
and I, too go walking, observing snow giving way
to bare ground around trees, then spreading out
into the surrounding landscape, soaking up
moisture to nourish thirsty roots, knowing
cycles and vagaries owing to the history of land
before human reckoning.

Snow falls and stays awhile ~ bj 2/23