A Magpie Tale on Change

What dies out of you and me, our creations,

out of our landscapes and gardens

will come back as a reflection,

to impress us,

to improve us---

the empty sunflower heads,

the used to elegant now torn milkweed,

the  once full of sprouts with birds now tough little trees,

the bitten cat-faced tomatoes,

coffee grounds,

empty sidewalks

…

Compost will shape our future.

The turgid brown mountain boils,

Emitting the devil’s breath of methane,

Cooking castoffs and moments of regrets:

Dog vomit, rotten potatoes,

Failed squashes, polluted river,

Salted cucumbers, broken eggshells---

snatches a rapture of well rounded humus.

Rich soil to dig in for first class clothing,

Fancy dirt is ready for the gardens

of all citizens,

including the queen and the king.

Take a walk around the naked mountain,

Think of summer thoughts and water fountain,

you will have the vision of everything,

the change in earth unspoken,

the colorful and the plain…