Poetry

Elephantland

Shale

I was listening
to the radio
listening to a man talk so matter of factly
about how they are shattering the shale
underneath us
fracking
cracking up
the gas that was locked up
in the bed rock
about how the chemicals
they shoot down there
come back up

I was sitting at the edge
of where twighlight
runs out of pink
where everything is illuminated
even though you can’t see where any light could be
coming from
I was looking at this stunning sky
absolutely still
absolutely alone

I was thinking that I must savor this
embrace it like a treasure
before the chemicals
we have shot into the ground
spill up
and fill the sky I watch
tonight
and snuff out
this brief succession
of beauty
we have had the priveledge
of touching

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