obsolescence

1.
extinction is a biological term
that describes the termination
of a whole group of a species
such that they cannot be found
anywhere on the planet,

2.
in the beginning in the beginning
when the word was light
and light was the world
and becoming and mattering
were one and the same –
we mattered
here.
because we were here –
planetary
perfect expressions
of the perfect here now

and the sun
touched our faces
like it touched the bright leaves
of trees and the earth where we stood
rooted –
paths where we moved
flowed capillary, blood vessel
artery across the earth
and we lived
and we ate
and we danced
and we died.
a tree grew
a season turned
and we became and became

3.
there are only two
northern white rhinos left
and both are female
their reproductive capacity
obsolete.

4.
became and became
clever hands clever thoughts
like carry this, move this
stand this stone
in the name of all that is holy.

like make make make this
like more make this more

like what if death comes
before we are done

like what if our work here is important
separate from
the work of the world
becoming and becoming

like what if we are more
important

and in our thinking
there came to be
a hole
a little bit of space
for the seed
of our own obsolescence

5.
extinction is a biological term
that describes the termination
of a whole group of a species
such that they cannot be found
anywhere on the planet,
or the surviving members
no longer have the ability
to propagate their species.

without a planet can we?
without a living planet
do we have the ability
to propagate our species?

6.
late afternoon and the light comes slow –
in a house long ago.
foot against the balustrade
i rock the old chair –
soft upholstered, carved spiral arms,
my mother’s and my mother’s mother’s
before me –
small as a cat
my daughter sleeps on my chest
as i did
as my mother did
before.

7.
our forgetting came
like a dark cloud across our world
first in story then in deed
and in our forgetting
we became forgotten –
longing
knowing our unknowing in our bones’
an infinitely insatiable hunger
that wants more more more
wants
until we have destroyed
that which we were –
and become and become
obsolete

but clever hands, clever thoughts
carved and wove too,
sung stories to the night of our being
and our becoming and the light of long stars
touched our faces like it touched the bright leaves
of trees and the earth where we stood
rooted us –
and in those stories we knew we lived
infinite infinity
arranging and rearranging atoms
until and still
we were all one and the same
tree, leaf, human, stone, egret
and we spoke the tongues
of the deer –
walked the silent feet of elephant
and remembered
and remembered

8.
in the face of all that is the world today
large electronic corporations
among others
still design their products
with planned obsolescence
a circuit break here
a malfunctioning screen connection there
a finite battery that cannot be replaced
there is no repair
throw away
away away
out of sight out of mind –
the new one is shinier
newer better
see how clear the images
how fast the answers
look the wormy worm chases its tail
chases its tail across the screen
– don’t look away
this is all the world
here – here is a new one
have this one
never never look away.

9.
if the whole point of our existence
was to be one voice among the many
just one pattern fractal
of this ever dancing light
then our destruction of our home
our silencing of other voices
diminishes and diminishes us
until we too are no more

10.
and what if death comes
before we are done
is the purpose of a candle
to burn until it is finished
or cast light while it is
aflame.

11.
remember
embody
become

---

For Brendan at Earthweal’s weekly challenge: EXTINCTION TALES

https://earthweal.com/2021/11/15/earthweal-weekly-challenge-extinction-tales/

Linking to Earthweal’s open link weekend #93

https://earthweal.com/2021/11/19/earthweal-open-link-weekend-93/

Advertisement