Do not steal the air from me I could not bear such poverty And fill again the pristine sky With dirt and soot that stings the eye. The earth our home we must not foul I long to hear coyote’s howl We share it all with birds and beast The giant whales and microbes least. The streams and lakes and oceans wide The care of which we must abide This is our home from which we came To spoil it now will be our shame.
I thought that I had lost
a swan. Viewed through the window And across the lake They sailed there mornings On most fine days As a threesome of waterfowl Forming a triptych Hinged in their beauty, Into my vision such Clouds upon the water, Joy upon the heart. But then one was gone So it seemed And out of kilter was my new
view, A rowboat plying with but
one oar. The remaining pair flew
low and muted Across the ice covered
lake Whistling for their vanished
friend Or so it seemed. And I counted down their
loss and mine As the way of the world
both harsh and cold Which sometimes snatches
up Such beauty and promise Rendering forever The goodness from their
lives. But then I saw on this
grey dark day Found, not lost the triplet! Gliding across the distant
way And still within our
visual bond Pallid and strong against
the breeze And so it seems What was lost is now found Whose return required nothing
more Than fidelity Which is to say: Have faith and hope, Let’s wait and see.
Do not steal the air from me
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