moment
Have you ever
walked under cherry blossoms after a spring rain
wet bark black and breathing
wet ground black and breathing
pale green grass emerging underfoot
screamed at God in the middle of a hayfield
under the sticky heat and humidity
grass thick like the bristles of a boarhair brush
yelling that you will never forgive or forget
seen the Statue of Liberty in the middle of a blizzard
grey sky backlit by a pale yellow sun
geese steady in choppy harbor waters
Battery Park covered in two feet of snow
Have you ever
watched dragonflies fight over a waterlily
yellow petals bright like the sun
dragonflies blue and vicious
water dribbling bubbling into the pond
clawed at your reflection in the window
dark eyes desperate in the black of 3 am
begging yourself to wait for morning
desperate to find a reason to breathe, to stay
stared out the car window sitting shotgun
for six hours with your best friend driving
through hills, farms, ghost towns, mountains, bridges
no sound but engine, radio, wheels on road
Have you ever
sat still, so very still while two butterflies mated
orange wings fluttering petals
a blossom nestled in pebbles
separating and floating away into the sky
visited the Grand Canyon on a moonless night
standing near the edge with an electric torch
outlining abyss with batteries and bulbs
understanding this is why people found hope in starlight
written a poem made of moments
trying to grasp a thousand memories that mean nothing
to anyone else, to humankind and progress and history
but none of that matters because
You don’t care. Because you’re smiling.