Beverly Finney shares her poem inspired by Joel Sartore’s amazing photography at Art of Poetry on September 16, 2017 at Hickory Museum of Art.

Beverly Finney
AMENDS
After “Overpass for Wildlife Near Banff, Canada” by Joel Sartore

The bridge across the trans-continental
highway in the middle of wild country
is not for the convenience of humans.
It is a narrow lane of safety for the wild
things who do not understand this ribbon
of asphalt through their native lands.
It is a token of concession that the powerful
have intruded, disrupted what was once unfettered.
It’s an appeasement for sins of desire and fracture.
Once again, we who have power take what
we want, think of it as our right, grinding
the conquered under the heel of our boot.
Now, this pale blue dot, wounded, pillaged,
scarred and poisoned for convenience, profit,
and power, for the taking as if there is always more.
How will we make amends for this carnage?
Will it be too late when we realize we must,
and hindsight, then, is all we have left?

Note: “Pale blue dot” is scientist Carl Sagan’s
description of our small living planet hanging out
precariously in the vast expanse of the universe.