npm 22: d.e.a.r. time

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

<poem? 

D.E.A.R. Time

Dear Powerful Ones,

 

Yes, you, my friends.  And me.  Because

we have the power to make choices 

every day that prioritize

our comfort, 

our convenience, 

our control.

But do you remember how urgent it was,

once upon a time,

to fight back against the Basal Reader?

Do you remember how we 

Dropped. Everything. And. Read, dear?

Defended the sanctity of 

reading for pleasure?

Do you remember the fear

of April 2020, how urgent it was,

once upon a time two years ago,

to Freeze. Everything. And. Repel that

killer virus? We are still seared by it,

by how we are today making 

uncomfortable,

inconvenient,

uncontrollable choices

to save our lives and others?

Happy Earth Day.  THIS IS THE SAME.

It’s time to Drop. Everything. And. Revolt, dear.

We know it’s serious, we know it’s urgent,

and we feel powerless.  It’s true 

that our reusable totes

and our refusable straws

and our backyard compost tumblers

don’t make a carbon-ton of difference

by themselves.  These actions aren’t near

enough. Not. Everything. Achieves. Results.

But it’s not hopeless and we’re not helpless.

The key is WE, do you hear?

Hold. Everyone. And. Rise. 

We have to find our people and join them.  

Never was power in numbers more pertinent. 

Don’t be me. The key is WE. 

Just ask the Mayapples.

We are tree-huggers and wolf-lovers.

We are Sunrise Movement

and Model Mafia.

We are vegan chefs

and bioplastics engineers.

We are Elders Climate Action

and Moms Clean Air Force.  

We are Interfaith Power & Light,

fly-fishers and knitters, collagists, 

photographers and dancers;

we adore the beach, the mountains,

our grandgirls, our sons, our students,

and there is not one single identity we have 

that is not touched by this crisis. 

We are voters and we are human and

WE ARE POETS. Clearly it is our job to 

Crazy. Love. Everything. And. Render it 

powerful in words, AND whatever else

we care about, to join that movement--

or make that movement.

DropEverythingAndRevolt, dear. Be bigger.

The key is WE.  Happy Earth Day.  It’s time.

********************

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.  Go in peace; serve the Earth.

(and click the links to find your people.)

🌍🌎🌏🌍🌎🌏🌍🌎🌏🌍🌎🌏🌍🌎🌏🌍🌎🌏🌍🌎🌏🌍🌎

My project for NPM 2022:

 

This month I'm making "human stories to move human beings.  Human stories are more powerful for inciting action than counting carbon or detailing melting glaciers." (Favianna Rodriguez, from her essay "Harnessing Cultural Power," in ALL WE CAN SAVE.)

 

Read previous poems in the series here:

1 A tribute to those who keep writing poetry in the face of climate calamity

2 Gratitude for those who take the time to fix things

3 A musical listing of not nearly all the women featured in this book

4 An observation of those considering climate-friendly human habitats

 

5 A comparison of beaver wisdom with human attempts to control water & fire

6 A reading of the intro to THE OVERSTORY: listening to trees 

7 A celebration of how young children still understand that they are animals on the planet 

8, 9,10 A trumpet in 3 emails about the power of women to lead change on a grand scale  

11 An exhortation to little girls to step in line behind those women who are leading on policy    

12 A view of our intelligent, anxious human story about survival gone mad, and a new narrative   

14 A pause to take a breath  

15 A consideration (again) of the special challenge of Being Human on the planet   

18 A tribute to Mayapples and the multiplicity of climate organizations out there doing the work  

19 A sashay down the catwalk in a superhero supermodel cape