On the 29th day
On the 29th day
Blue skies
Pushed through
The ashen haze—
Their beauty enhanced
Tenfold
By their absence.
Windows opened
For the first time
In weeks.
Lungs shuddered
Sighs of happy relief
I feel thankful
For the reminder.
And shame for forgetting.
There are no givens.
The cost of overlooking gratitude–
For the air we breathe
The water that flows freely from taps
The privilege of safety and choice
The light at the end of magical fingertips
The ability to sleep soundly at night
The planet that gives of herself
Again and again
Asking nothing in return—
Is so high.
So high.
The current times
Are no anomaly,
They’re a direct result
Of our entitlement
Our greed
Our forgetting
May we remember
What it was like
To take that first breath
Of green air