We saunter along her sea breath nests
her refuge of migratory waterfowl
her treasure of a place, warm inhale of
pine needles, salt marsh, kestrel hawks
cool exhale of seaweed, tidepools, rock
jagged edges along rugged shores
surge break, listen to pocketknife
whistles of gulls at low tide
imagine this scientist looking,
leaning, observing with sandpaper palms
as the sea hums secrets
as songbirds warble
witchery, witchery
she wrote there may be consequences
when we interfere with nature
toxic masculine atom split
nuclear fallout of chemical industry cries:
What unmarried childless female cares about the future? (she raised three children, does it matter)
too emotional too hysterical!
to notice fog trucks and dust squads
spraying insecticide confetti with singsong cheer
in parks, on beaches, schools, and streets
“Good for meeeeeeee” but not for the
songbirds or salmon
maybe not for you or me either
she wrote because we just do not know
what affect they may have
Ms. Carson suggested,
years from now in mothers’ milk
in babies’ teeth
the world could not ignore the
open wounds left by low tides
infants born with hands on top of their shoulders, trunks sprouted with little feet, how much longer can we conceal what we do to the air, water, and trees we do to us, how much longer of
profits over people
How long does it take to break down? Ms. Carson persisted
for this pitch forks
raised to break her
like the eagles’ thin
chemical cracked eggshells
if she could take a big yellow taxi
here, she could see
not much has changed
not much has changed
still foolish manufactured boundaries
politics, poison sprays
what can we do? we would ask her
other than help our children wonder
show them how
to pay attention
to leaves who curl
up their edges
like teacups before it rains
Would she say, yes, this exactly
show them why it is the most
important thing
when the hummingbird, oriole, bobwhite
sing witchery, witchery each
symphonic spring
This poem first appeared in Yellow Arrow Publishing (2023).
—
A. M. Hayden is Poet Laureate and Professor for Sinclair College. Her debut collection, American Saunter, released December 2024 (FlowerSong Press). Her first chapbook, How to Tie Tobacco, and second collection, Old World Wings, will be released in 2025 (Wild Ink Publishing). Hayden is a Pushcart Prize nominee and the 2023 River Heron Editor’s Choice Prize winner. She lives with her family and many furry rescue babies, including a very special blind, three-legged pup named Vinny Valentine.
