Wondering

A walk at 7 o’clock in the morning:

The sun has crested the trees on the other side of the river

and spindly shadows reach long across the old lane

tracks are frozen into the mud: raccoon, deer, dog

after a week of gusty wind, the air is cold but gentle

crows call out as they fly over

blue jays flit into the trees

the chickadees sing to one another
a song sparrow, unseen, serenades the world

The news at 8 o’clock in the morning:

The death toll is higher

Another nursing care home is stricken
Supplies are low, anxiety is high
projections are futile

A nation’s leader is in critical care

reminding us

to stay home

stay away from each other

make do

do without

bake bread

sew masks

be still and know

this is all there is to do

We are living in ways

we turned our backs on many years ago

in this war against a virus

we are returning to pre-war

pre-industrial

days

Go back to the farms

go back to the fields

to the spaces between

grow your own food

make your own clothes

walk through the woods

keep your distance

unplug, disconnect

find a new path

I wonder what the migrating birds think

of the empty skies?

I wonder if the fox mother is hopeful

none of her kits will be hit by a car?

I wonder if the bees will emerge from

winter hiding places

because no one is outside cleaning up?

This isolation

is a wilderness

to explore

Go for a walk

look at the footprints in the frozen mud

not only yours

there are others on this earth

in the night

in the sky

beneath the trees

See two deer leap across the field

their white tails flashing

as they disappear into the woods

And keep wondering. 

(by Sara Jewell)