we sit at the edge of
vespertide
listening to the chorale
of evensong
this day's opus almost done
now tapering off in
slow melodious decrescendo..
it is the gloaming
and the final flurry of light
glimmers on the horizon

now the night becomes
the diva,
the first star has been wished upon,
the first sattelite too.
and the bass note of the cicadas
builds to a *****, needful hum...

lights go on in little square
patches, and the smell
of barbeque fragrances
the summer night air

under the streetlights
the moths come to dance
a dare each other to touch
the midnight sun...

and in our garden
the rustle of the
tame gone feral
rabbit "bellamy"
has begun...

a hulking grey white
shadow now he lollops
toward the tasty green
carrot-tops...
until the sound of pounding
feet causes him to freeze
considering his position
bellamy chooses discretion
over valour and departs with haste

the wind now has a coolness to it
and the grass grows damp about us
by still we sit enamoured of the changing
slow and quiet about us
the seas whisper secrets
and the birds settle in for the night
excepting those who hunt on silent wings

the stars begin to pop
bright white on the darkening sky
and the crescent moon smile with
a sideways grin...

it is now the darker things come
owls on the wing
spiders to reknit there webs
the big bass frog to sing his song
and the small blood seeker
come with whinging wings

now we must give the night
it's privacy, as we walk inside,
from the pond a series of sounds
means the frog has found dinner
hopefuuly a mosiquito buffet

the vesper tide hath turned
the night is now come.....

Seas of swaying green reduced to gray city skylines (the triumphant results of our modern enlightenment)
Slicked oil waters pulse from the refineries, defeated heads held down against the cold winds walk the streets.
Malaise grips the populace,
our attention at every turn deftly averted to the trivial.
Welcome one, welcome all, to the Anthropocene.

Smoke stacks bellowing, pockets full of printed greenbacks thickening,
the overwhelming scents of greed and gluttony bleed into everything.
Throw your trash to the streets, stomp the last embers and smear ash on the wall,
Look around and you will see humanities closing scenes.
Welcome one, welcome all, to the Anthropocene.

It seems in the end truth has left us,
hope has evacuated,
it’s speakers replaced with puppets
That dance and masquerade on taught strings.
Come in my friends, take your seats in the audience,
The show has already begun!
The lights are dimming and the pieces well set,
Welcome one, welcoming all, to the Anthropocene.

Continents ablaze, reduced to decayed black.
The streets of your home flooded,
Mother Nature holding on by a trembling thread,
And in all of our brightest intellect,
We do not reknit the thread.
Instead of reversing our own mistakes, instead of adjusting our sails to the changing winds,
we hold the scissors to that trembling string and begin to cut with a smile.
Manicured life,
Monocultured lawns perfectly maintained through the drought, appearances kept up through the drowning monsoon winds.

Welcome, my dearest friends, to the end of our days, whether you agree to them or not,
Welcome to the first conscious mass extinction, brought to you by the height of human innovation
Welcome, my brothers and sisters, to the Anthropocene.

One day, the sun will break through the clouds,  
Whispers of hope painting the sky bright,  
Promises cradled in the hands of time,  
A gentle wind, guiding us toward the light.  

One day, laughter will echo through the streets,  
Joy will dance on the rooftops, so high,  
Children will play where shadows once dwelled,  
And dreams once shattered will learn how to fly.  

One day, we’ll gather among the olive trees,  
Rekindling stories of love and of strife,  
Each word, a balm for the wounds of the past,  
Each heart, reknit in this vibrant new life.  

One day, the moon will smile down upon,  
A world reborn in trust and in grace,  
We’ll rise from the ashes of doubt and despair,  
United in strength, we’ll find our place.  

One day, the stars will align in our favor,  
The compass that guides us, steadfast and true,  
Together we'll navigate uncharted waters,  
With courage and hope lighting paths that we pursue.  

One day, the pain of yesterday fades,  
Replaced by a chorus of voices combined,  
We’ll stand hand in hand, through storms and through trials,  
Adversity met with a spirit refined.  

One day, the walls that once held us captive,  
Will crumble like dust at the feet of our dreams,  
A tapestry woven from threads of our stories,  
In vibrant hues, bursting at the seams.  

One day, the hands of time will rewind,  
To show us the beauty that lay in the fight,  
In moments of silence, our hearts will remember,  
The journey that led us into the light.  

One day, together, we’ll walk through the dawn,  
With eyes set on futures, bright as the sun,  
Life will be different, draped in new colors,  
And we’ll stand as one when the battles are won.  

So let the echoes of now whisper soft,  
For every shadow brings promise anew,  
One day we will rise, and the world will transform,  
With faith in our hearts, we’ll know what is true.