poetry, Uncategorized

who’s to blame

who’s to blame

it’s disturbing
but for now they’re right

on some of the plots where people chose
to opt out of the county’s help
the earth hasn’t yet been mulched,
still ready for the wind to carry contaminated cinders
to the edge of town and beyond.
(shake your head here)

but on other opt-out-plots it turns out
everything has already been smoothed away –
twisted metal unscrewed from earth
ashes carried away by truck not air –
and they’re ahead of the county-trusting curve now

you know, they called it:
interference, delay, graft –
just as they suspected
but not who:
it’s business (as usual) not government
trying to squeeze more money from tragedy
carving another scar before the land can heal

poetry

Arfak economics

Arfak economics

mountain people
stay in the mountains
eat from the forest
climb steep tracks
as a matter of course

the cool air and mist
slip down the sheer green slopes
refresh and energize
and, not stifled by midday swelter
not prostrated by unending sun
the busy people shake their heads:
in the lowlands a man grows only bananas
trades this food for money
takes the money to the store
trades it for food –
why doesn’t he just
grow a garden instead?

this mountain man goes on:
in 1990
someone gave me money
I didn’t know what it was
so I brought it to the church
asked do you know what to do with this?

yes they said
yes, we do