Ecospirit: Religions and Philosophies for the Earth

Musings from White Rock Lake: Poems

 Musings from White Rock Lake: Poems K A R E N B A K E R - F L E T C H E R Ha Shem Hurricane Why Hurricane Sigh A touch on Our shoulders In early July At first So dry Then so humid Weather awry The birds all timid In shade of trees Then diving like turtles Without grace or ease Dipping low For dark and cool Seeking oasis In tepid pool Past breeding And nesting k a re n b ak e r -f l e tc h e r 兩 537 Just wrestling With heat Past season To Season Black and Orange Webbed feet Sense Adam’s empire’s The reason For warnings And warmings In morning’s First ‘‘Hi’’ Such sorrow Little regret For ignoring Heaven’s eye Before emperors In ties Butt naked with lies Muted earth’s cries In ascent to hell’s throne Deep in the bog of Imperialist dung Plaguing Peasant Pietas’ Hearts All flung and wrung By the tragic folly of empire’s feast With blasphemous prayers Mocking the least Hailing techno-whizzers of Oz Flaccid grey-skinned priests Spinning numbers into gods 538 兩 e c os p i ri t While laboring serfs grieve The debris on God’s altars While creation groans With constant plea From bayou to bay And from bay to the sea And the winds prophesy What a meager repentance Such blasphemous offerings And what mocking remembrance Of secret waters Rippling with mirth Spirit hovering Over depths Meeting earth Dancing in love With wind From above Panting Then Pulsing ‘Til the first cry Of birth Alpha And Omega Thus speaks Ha-Shem. With You Walking on water I feel I am Walking on water With you. Wailing on water I feel k a re n b ak e r -f l e tc h e r 兩 539 I am in fresh air Swept with dew. Walking on water I feel I am away from Lake shore’s edge. Walking on water I feel I am Fallen tree, Supporting bridge. Who Am I? I am not Sam I am Or green eggs and ham. Who am I? I am not black Or white Or Creek or Asian Or Ghanaian or Senegalese Or Latina or Latina Or Latina American or Mexican Or Brazilian or Puerto Rican. Who am I? I am water And I am earth I am mud and green Brown and grey Vermillion and clay With mist for breathin’ 540 兩 e c os p i ri t And laughter blue And tears that rain And dance With wind in rushes. I am earth And breeze And heat And ice And Womb. I am water And dust And I am God’s beloved And I am me. Starlight Starlight, Starbright, Starlight in between. Starlight Starbright, Starlight in the green. Dancing Prancing Blinking Twinkling Not so high above. Having fun In soughs of wind k a re n b ak e r -f l e tc h e r 兩 541 Rippling lake And noonday sun Kiss ever and again. Signs Ducks bask On reeds afloat Sailors none Are now aboat Turtles nap on shaded log One upon a dam, cool rock It only we, Us foolish Folk Who trespass Signs Of sky and loch. ...