Yesterday’s dusting of snow
is puddles on the tarmac today,
a beautiful spring day.
Michelle organizes the greenhouse
while she shares then and there
and here and now.
“I saw a lot.”
“I ran away from home
when I was 13
to a string of Catholic homes,
each a short stay, then run away.
Always run away.
“A group home when I was 15.
Promiscuous…Pregnant…a son.
Abusive step-parents.
…more pregnancies,
…more children.
Welfare.
“I had dreams
about buildiing,
stability,
choices.
I went from welfare to carpenter’s union in 9 months.
“What’s the underlying social message?
I don’t know how to put it.
A lot of poverty?
A lot of struggle?
A lot of attitude?
“…and a good way to live life?
I don’t stress about life. I do life.
It’s happening now.
I decide to make it work.
“The Village is a bigger picture,
it’s individuals being Village.
It’s a sense of peace, purpose and cooperation.
I don’t want to be just a dog sitter,
or sit on my butt watching stupid.
I don’t want to just sit around complaining.
I stress out with our politics
so I garden.
“Just being
contributes to my turmoil.
Working in construction and building
while having an intimate relationship with nature
I feel the turmoil and carry the conflict: trees/lumber…
“…lumber/trees,
On deforested hills
a trickle becomes a stream becomes a gully
and trees alongside the road are left
to hide the horrific truth!
“Greed with a bull shit sweetener!
Is that how to sustain a civilization?”
