I walk with Adam through
the lush confines of this garden
searching for words to name the animals
as they disappear
When suddenly he is Noah
bringing cradled in his hands
two by two the birds
found perfectly dead along the path
Lost Moses gapes in disbelief
at the rising and unparted seas
while David dances on
building walls upon walls
Ezekiel appears and the season to repent
the time to tear down is at hand
but we are swept too soon away
to the valley of bones
And then St. John is on his island crying
oh new heaven
oh terrible new earth of fire and wind
what have we wrought
—
Since retiring from Prince George’s Community College in 2021, Dennis Huffman has volunteered as a “Weed Warrior” in the parks near his home. In 2023, he published Decolonizing the Park, a collection of poems and photographs about invasive plants. He is also a facilitator with the Center for Courage and Renewal. He lives in Takoma Park, MD.
