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Wednesday, April 26, 2023

When This Is Over

 

Art work by Bryony Bensley


When we get through this, I want
there to be a shift in the consciousness
of humankind. (Let's put the "kind" back
in humankind.) I want news anchors
to speak truth, with integrity and diplomacy.
I want world leaders to do the same,
to face the huge challenges
our survival as a planet depends upon -
and to make the corporations do their part,
instead of giving them a free pass
to destroy the world, and never pay.

When we get through this, I dream a dream
of the Rainbow Race rolling up our sleeves
and doing the work of recovery and restoration.
I dream we will all shop locally and vote green,
drive less, write our elected representatives
with our concerns, keep our footprints light.
I dream we will all hold
the natural world and its non-human creatures
in our hearts and in our thoughts, in everything we do,
so they may live too.

When we get through this, I hope we will remember
how terrible it was to be so divided, to not trust
those elected to serve, to fear the loss
of democracy, to witness wars being fought
in so many places, afraid
it could even happen here.
I hope we never forget
how many climate refugees there were, how many
homeless - the uncared for mentally ill 
and addicted - who lived their desperation
on the streets, and all the officials did
was take away their tents.

When we get through this, I want us to
lay a bountiful table, and invite everybody in.
Let there be heaps of good, warm bread,
and nourishing soup, and, after all have eaten,
a comfortable place for them to rest.
Let there be no creature on this earth
uncared for and unloved, 
when all of this is over.


Inspired by the title "When We Get Through This" by Maya Stein. May as well dream big, if one is going to dream.

6 comments:

  1. That's a lot of hopes and wants!! I guess it starts with a little activism, and getting out the vote

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  2. That is a glorious dream and I always say dream big’. Our dreams are the gateway to the future. I fear it will take a monumental disaster before leaders will say ‘this is not the way’. Referring to their cloudy visions. There are people working hard together to bring unity. I wonder when we will get through this? Your dream is one that needs to take root and reach out to all living creatures. We have but one earth.
    Perhaps, the rainbow people are watching and waiting. I once heard that the sky people will return before we totally destroy ourselves. Sigh… keep dreaming, my friend!

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  3. Amen. And I will be with you in spirit if not in physical form.

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  4. You speak for so many. You speak for me. I want to sit at that bountiful table and remember how humanKIND finally decided to love the planet back to life. What a beautiful beautiful poem.

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  5. I'll have what you're dreaming. And if we can't envision that, what's the use of keeping on?

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