Damnably Persist
(hmm, maybe an essay or a sermon as a poem)

The wars go on
Floods and eruptions rage
Sometimes on cue
Sometimes without
Early warning
Or a warning
That is useless
For too late
Our preparation
To mean anything

Or because the prophets have been saying
This would happen
And it does
For all our art
And science
Serving rather the agendas
Of human politics
And nature’s
And so the world
Tries to teach us
Something
About what’s important

And to be ready for
In time
To use our intelligence
Technology
And all we understand to know
To have and enact toward
Making
Co-making
Preferable peace
While there is tragedy enough
To go around

And so we could better have
Some peace
All around
And celebrate the life
On planet Earth
That we were creditworthy
And talented enough
To prepare for
Meeting needs
And taking care
Of everyone
In all our seasons
All our quarter-spheres
Everything I am
Without pay
To take care of you
And you
All the yous
(youse, y’ins I know
for fun)
Human and natural
All the (as in eyes)
I-s
Which don’t you know
Make an us

And let what’s been a curse
Become a motto and
Of course
As in
A matter of our course
A global challenge

C L Couch


Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash