Another Chance

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Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

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If half the spinning galaxies of the universe have sun stars with planets

and

if only half of those planets host intelligent life

and

if half of those populations resemble humans on Earth

and

if half of those peoples take their lands and seas and skies into ruin,

the Great Mother of Creation must have known this would happen.

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Will this omniscient Creator gather up all the sorry star-souls remaining

on planet Earth

and

lovingly place them somewhere new in the vast universe?

Will the Great Mother of Creation give them a fresh, clean planet,

green and blue and flourishing, saying,

“See if you can do better this time”?

The Fall

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Photo by Satoshi Hirayama on Pexels.com

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The Fall

If I send you the red leaves of autumn

press them flat inside an envelope,

will you remember the Japanese maple

you climbed in the summer’s green?

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If I mail a postcard of a Studebaker

pickup truck carrying milk cans,

will you recall the Matchbox cars

you lined up on the play mat here?

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If I ask your forgiveness for all

my misperceptions, my withdrawal,

a mud pit of wracked emotions,

will you let the light back in?

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If I place my heart in the circular present

attach my faith to the hem of the garment

surrender what’s left to the stillness,

will the mirror show me my true face?

Violet Wings

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One day everything changed.  At first, the morning unfolded as usual.  She started the water to boil, and put fragrant coffee grounds in the French press.  Took a waffle from the freezer, popped it in the toaster. It was while she was scooping cat food into Raymundo’s dish that they both stopped at the sound.  Raymundo pointed his pointy ears toward the bathroom.  She frowned, then tiptoed to the bathroom door.  Splashing sounds.  Thumps and bumps.  A grunt.

Slowly, cautiously, she turned the knob.  Opened the door a crack.  Peeked in.  Someone was in the tub.  A large someone.  A someone with wings.

She gasped.  The someone looked up.

“So sorry,” he said.  She could tell by the voice and the shape it was a “he.”

“So sorry.  I must have taken a wrong turn up there.”  He stood up.   Then she saw all of him.  His skin was a deep violet, shimmering with tiny scales.  The wings were made of iridescent black feathers, like a raven’s.

“You see,” he continued, as he dried himself with one of her towels, “I was aiming for the mountain lake, just north of here, but my hydrodetector malfunctioned and I ended up here in your bath.”

She was speechless.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll just be off.  Might you let me out your back entrance?  You do have one?  Won’t do to walk out on your street this time of the morning.”

She opened the door and stepped aside to let him pass.

“Would you like a cup of tea?” she asked.