A Poem: “To No One”

Even if no one is listening
the children will still run down the halls of the morning
dragging themselves into coat and scarf
outgrowing everything learned
except that life is a gift that looks
different to every person with eyes
like fractured windows into the heavens
even if no one is listening
birds will still pull out their softest feathers
to prepare a nest for their young
they will gently carry food in their mouths
and they will warble at the first shocks of light
just like all those with wings before them
all the new babies will wake
and bend their mouths
finding oval, circle, smirk, shout
practicing shaping their lips
to support a lifetime of thoughts
The musicians will still gather at strings
to play the notes of their ancient voices
and the poets will still look out their windows
to see into themselves at the end of the day
we will still enter and leave this ancient room alone
we will still sing songs when we bury our dead
and steady ourselves with each other
as life and death slowly sway and dip to time
we will still have our babies and cradle our old
and the bald eagles and black vultures
will still mate for life in any season
and the trees will still burst into color
as children’s bones are made out of stardust

Even if no one is listening
I will still take off my shoes on the first days of summer
and warm myself by the people I love
and a space will still exist between us
I will still feel the softness of the earth
I will still search for the words
Even if there is no mind in the heavens
Even if the expanse is only cold color and hot spark
I will still say thank you from the same place
Inside myself that the rooster crows
at each new dawn, throwing his whole being
into the sound because we have survived
the darkness again and discovered breath
Even if no one is listening