HOPE IS A RADICAL ACT II

"Hope takes root
in suffering and sadness."
- David Montgomery /
Washington Post

Hope is a radical act, 

a continuing to believe,

in spite of melting poles,

warming seas, warring countries,

that we humans can be better

than we are right now.

Some days, when the bodies

littering the streets of a small town

are seen on our tv screens

through a blur of tears,

hope is 70 orcas swimming

through the Salish sea.

It is the cherry tree blooming

springtime beauty,

- in spite of us, in spite of us -

frogs croaking in the creek,

baby everythings being born,

the endless cycle of the seasons
- miraculous -

arriving right on time, with a night-time sky

purple and green with the northern lights

thrown in for good measure.

A hopeful heart can take a beating
when global politics run amok.

Our hope has been whittled down

by the last five years of living.
When the heart begins to feel defeated,
when the news is unrelentingly grim,
now more than ever

does hope become a radical act,
a determination to not give up,

to keep on trying to save a forest,

or write a hundred letters of protest

to the powers-that-be, to clean a beach,

rescue a dog, plant a wildlife garden,

or simply sit in awe in front of

a thousand year old tree

and feel its beauty seeping into

our tired souls.

The whales, the frogs, the trees
keep on keeping on,
and so must we.

for Brendan at earthweal,  where we are contemplating Radical Hope. Being hopeful does feel radical these days.