They Will Return Arrival of derecho Hurricane on shore Knocked down trees Straight from the roots Great lumber littered all over Cedar Rapids, Iowa Unforeseen act of deforestation Chalk it up to wrath of the wind. Someday, the maples, the sycamores— They will return. Buzzsaw roars and tears Raw sawdust from toppled Trees hacked into smaller pieces Giving rise to a grove of stumps Natural covering from sun’s heat is missing Strong branches, emerald leaves Sixty-five percent Removed from reality. Someday, the black oaks, the lindens— They will return. With some manpower, Work gloves, shovels, The right saplings For replanting, Fructuous ground For a solid base, Summer rain and Autumn showers Assisting in the gradual growth, then Someday, the birches, the walnut trees— They will return. Someday, the forest— It will return Cool shade To a deprived, sweltering town.
About the author
African-Italian performance poet based in Oakland, California. Active on the creative writing & spoken word tips since the early 1990s. Author of 5 books [Boneyard, Unwritten Law, Stormwater and Skeletal Black, all from POOR press, and from Conviction 2 Change Publishing, Elohi Unitsi ] and 38 anthology appearances [including Your Golden Sun Still Shines, Rise, Extreme, The Land Lives Forever, Civil Liberties United, Colossus: Home, 2020: The Year That Changed America, Geography Is Irrelevant from York, England’s own Stairwell Books, Five Words: Volume XIV from Cork, Ireland’s O’ Bheal and the newest from Flower Song Press, created in connection with the 2021 Rio Grande Valley International Poetry Festival, Boundless ] under his figurative belt so far.
DIY MFA 