UW Sustainability Courses

EARTH POEMS : Round 6

As I dig through the leaves,
Tunneling myself deeper and deeper
Into the darkest depths, death looms overhead
Falling all around me
I hold back emotions from overwhelming me
Birth-life-death; it’s all one and the same

Helena Kahle

Stardust

Frozen in space
The stubborn stars fell from the sky
Like dew drops from pine in an early mist
Condensing in a puddle
As a waterglow of old moonlight
Caught in the shrubs
Amongst the intricate spider webs.

Elizabeth Keller

My heart is like the tree trunk
The fierce battle to stay alive
Struggling daily to see the light
And bask in its sunny glow
The ripples in the bark
Tell the stories of my life
Embedded in my heart.

Kristin Halverson

Looking at herself in the mirror
Her eyes disguised by costume makeup
Confusion about her confidence
When did she become so dependent
On the opinion of her boyfriend?

Are the eyes sharing back really hers?
Where did all the previous strength go?
Her mind yells out stop, her heart cries go,
Go find him and take good care of him,
Soothe him, love him, hold him tightly.
Her mind tells her not to be foolish,
Bring back the reflection that was hers.

Lauri Gosline

I slice through the crack in the pane
Find that spot on your neck;
Chills up your spine.

My longing for warmth will be yours
I shove you back,
My unhappiness will be yours
Why should I hold back the pain
You cannot shut me out.

Helena Kahle

Seasonal mask
Transforms face

Fall’s harvest of
Supple sweetness

Frostbite nibbles
Macintosh flesh

Sinuous sap
Runs cold.

Shelly Schwarzmann

Giving Thanks

Grandma asked me to say grace
But that would require me to remove
The capitalist mask from my fleshy face

Lazy bums get frostbite sleeping in a filthy alley
Dad says “Somebody should throw those mangy mutts a bone”
Thank you for the ivory tower that I call home

I wrote a report on Mother Teresa and now I want to be just like her
But then I shouldn’t pick friends based on who wears the latest clothes
And I guess I shouldn’t drive around my brand new beemer

Thank you family for the gifts and food in front of me
Supple fruits and tender meats for us to eat and toss away
Spoiled on all the world’s luxuries, are we

What I’m trying to say is so jumbled up
I want and want and just can’t live without

I feel so sad and terrible inside
I’d like you guys to help me fix
The gross injustices before our privileged eyes

Then maybe next year our thanks
Could be more than
Just ritualized, empty lies.

Shelly Schwarzmann

Audible or imagined
The rustle of red hewn leaves
As the wind exhaled.

Betsy Lawton

A Man in the Water

Cold but not yet frozen,
Incomplete.
Inconsistent chops and waves,
Fragile.
The sunlight reflects off the surface,
Translucent.
A shallow idea of man lies in the dark deep water.

Adam Schlicht

He travels down a twisted road
Trying to find his own way
Behind his peaceful home
The path ahead yet to be chiseled
With ambitions, adversity, and accomplishments
But as he walks the ground does ripple
Beaming with confidence as he makes his path
Road behind gleaming in his wake.

Scott Klamik

The darkness surrounded me,
Nothing except for the deep breaths,
Over and over,
Never ceasing.
The tranquil sound helped me to rest.
It had been too long.
Too many sleepless nights
Full of worry and fret.
Not worth the time or energy.
It would all be fine, but how?
Through the repetitive breath.
The knowledge of security and future and love.
What I want and need unknown
But known the same.
Too scary to say,
Because then it must be felt
And experienced.
Vulnerable.

Julie Kaster