Re-member

Re-member, by J. Maak

do you smell the winds
floating toxic
jet fuel and car exhaust
searing, burning
you know it’s not good
yet you look the other way
grab the keys
start the engine
drive off to gotta-do’s
where you “must” go today

what if instead
we examine a blade of grass
poking up through sidewalk crack
brown-edged in summer’s heat
a leaf, thick and fuzzy
fluttering down from sycamore tree
listen to the mourning dove
slow rhythmic cooing
across the neighborhood
brother tree, sister dove, cousin grass
a moment of stillness
to remember
re-member
take our place within the cosmos
reorient the knowing
right direction
from the horribly wrong