This piece was written in response to the environmental catastrophe in British Columbia, Canada, and Washington state, in November 2021, where flooding has devastated the area.
“Help me!” I pray.
Forehead and palms pressed
Against my firm, upright,
Hard and solid,
New friend,
One day after
Torrents of destruction
Unleashed by an atmospheric river.
My province is drowning!
Lands splintered into
New and swollen islands.
Systems enabling us,
Undermined,
Fallen, twisted,
And broken.
There are occasions
When fear and empathy,
Become the companions,
Threatening to overwhelm;
Paralyze.
“Help me!”
“Help me!”
Awash in the radiating comfort
Of this blessed, giving friend,
Having quieted enough,
I listen to my hand,
My left hand.
Beneath my skin,
Electrical jolts.
A primal neurological code,
A balance for being in community,
Of Holy Communing.
“How do I buttress
My bursting heart?”
I ask my new friend.
“Help others,”
Red Cedar Tree said, confidently.
“Help others.”
