nature
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Driving to the park with the mousein a Havahart trap, I tell her,“I could have executed you for the crime of invading our house,but I’m giving you a chance to livea little longer.” I let that sink in and add,“You may not believe this, butwe have something in common. As an old man, I’ve also Read more
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I don’t know much about gods,but I think the oak tree on our hill might be one. It’s stood for yearswith outstretched arms, sheltering birds, scattering nuts to those in need,and offering shade from the sun to everyone. For longer than we’ve been alive, this treehas been wrestling life from earth and stone, losing limbs Read more
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A wasp crawls up the windowtoward what it thinks is sky then loses its grip, slips and fallsto the sill, lies still, then gathers itself, turns, and climbstoward sky again. Now I hear Black Elk whisper,Please do not say “it” when referring to Wasp, who isa living being made by the Creator. Wasp, he says, Read more
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This morning I couldgo inside, boot up the computer,pay my urologist’s bill,then change the oilin the lawn mower,then drive to the dump(now called the “Transfer Station”)and listen to Travis,who monitors the recycling bins,complain about his life,and then… There’s a lot I could dothis morning,but I think I’ll sit herein the shadewatching the lightslant through the Read more
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The animal approaching meon the mountain trackwas trotting at a steady paceand wasn’t turning back. He wore a crown of pointed horns,and a regal robe of white.He showed no sign of slowing down–I was hoping that he might. I’d never heard of mountain goatspushing hikers to their deaths,but the side was steep, he came on,clearly Read more
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I used to think waterwas only water. Now I think this ever-morphing molecule,this rain falling today, blown here from the Amazon,or a polar bear’s shaken fur, or Mt. Fuji’s morning mist,is the very soul of the Earth, forever flowing somewherebelow us, above us, within us. Its presence means everything,its absence, nothingness. Everywhere on Earthroots reach Read more
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First, I gave all living speciesthe ability to speak with each other. You may have already noticedthat now even a routineHow’s your day going ?with a squirrel makesboth of you feel amazing. Now, all of nature’s squeaks,growls, and murmurs, areneighborly complaints about the weather,comments on last night’s moon,or maybe a little gossip. I hope you’ve Read more
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I feel your panic little guy!You jump, you leap, you want to fly Out of that barren waste of white,I see why you’re in such a fright! And with me looming in your sky,You must be sure you’re going to die. But, monster though I am to you,I’ve had to jump a time or two. Read more
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isn’t it? I meanthat milkweed seedfloating by onblissful flufflifted by windup and over the roof. The drifting seedseems happy to ignorethe odds against it beingdropped downon open ground where it can poweritself into root, stem,and nourishing leaves, the windblown butterflymust find to keep its kind alive. Read more
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Back when the galaxywas youngthey say the wheel of fortunespun, the exploded stardust gatheredinto everything we seeand we (the lucky ones!) landedatop the species tree where we look downon the frogs, the antelopes,the bumblebeesand other clustersof cosmic dustgoing about their business who must feelthe universe is not justa little nuts but cruelto have gifted usthe Read more
20 Poems by Tom Crider 