I watch the shadow cast from my apartment
descend with the rising sun in barely perceptible increments
notable to no one but me and wonder how many more
notable things have I missed simply because they move
too slowly or that I lack the right perspective.
What if I could observe the Earth suspended in space
and watch it move in grace like a blue goddess
against a sea of stars?
What if I could see the Earth wake up and breathe
as spring comes to the Northern Hemispshere
with a growing carpet of green?
What if I could be there through every epoch and era
to witness the slow progression of life unfold
in rapid motion on a hundred screens at once,
only to see them one by one go blank
in the Sixth Great Mass Exinction?
What if I could watch the Sahara sands creep southward
consuming the rainforests and farms of Africa
as a hungry tide of humanity spreads northward?
What if I could watch the oceans rise and swallow
one island nation after another until they
lap on the shores of Kensington and Times Square?
What if I could watch the mountain glaciers retreat,
in barely perceptible increments, as they solemnly
ascend the slopes into thin air?
This poem first appeared in the collection Shopping Cart Dreams (Kelsay Books).
—
Gene Twaronite is the author of five poetry collections. His first poetry book, Trash Picker on Mars, was the winner of the 2017 New Mexico-Arizona Book Award. His latest poetry collection is Death at the Mall (Kelsay Books). Follow more of Gene’s writing at: genetwaronitepoet.com.
