Three Poems from The Common Book of Stars

Poems by Alexandra Ellen Appel

WE WILL BEAR WITNESS to our world. This media project collects stories from earth's citizens, recording climate destruction, devastation, resilience and hope.
Tell your story.

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Three Poems from The Common Book of Stars

Ode to Western Civilization

on the west coast of Africa, standing stones
tell of future alignment with the Heavens
what will come in the here and now

call it destruction
call it rebirth
or the second coming,

                       what? only one other coming
                       surely this is not truth

rest your weary head for a moment
your heart will beat, I will tell you more

                        so sorry, must go
                        one more cup of coffee, please

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Rain

Today the wind arrives
crossing continents
from a cyclone in Auckland
a Syrian earthquake all these events

obvious too the melting of the permafrost
the albedo effect warming our oceans
and others too numerous to mention, icebergs, glaciers, clear cuts

for the horizon of tomorrow is here
spread like jewels
a wildfire
from the Great Mother

believe what you will,
a hungry ghost is not far behind,
name it what you wish
imagined wholly real

no matter what,
please do not name it progress,
the rain is not far behind.

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The Wind Came Up and the Rain

fell. The
monsoons of Northern California are here

next will come again drought admonishing heat
wetlands dry, monsoons return, bringing the winds

the found wheel spins and spins, and then the fires

and we long again for what was
now but this, this price we

earned the right to pay
by our greed, our persuasive desires
believed

we take what is ours

not to take
has no price

but this, this turning
is all we know of hope:

at night the stars take their rightful place in the sky
and the moon.

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Alexandra Ellen Appel

Alexandra Ellen Appel is a poet and academic living in San Francisco.

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WE WILL BEAR WITNESS to this moment in history. This media project features stories from earth's citizens, recording climate destruction, devastation, resilience and hope. Tell your story.