ANOTHER CHANGE
Each early morning’s walk
I hear the hum of traffic,
noticing its hum,
what mere weeks ago
was rumble and roar.
Caught at the contradiction
between good and bad,
I send wishes to the travelers
for safety at their destination
as I arrive home
and close my door.
© 2020 Linda Baie. All rights reserved.
"Caught at the contradiction between good and bad" is an intersection so many of us are idling at, Linda. Peter and I have been noticing how unusual it is that we are not experiencing Florida "summer" weather as we usually do in May. Coincidence? Maybe. But the slowdown of industry/traffic/pollution certainly must be a welcome change to our planet. Such a beautiful poem— it truly hits home.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, Michelle. Along with noticing the sounds, I also am surprised at so few cars on the roads, just as you alluded to. Even on the nearby heavily-trafficed Boulevard, easy access, few going anywhere. And I am in the middle of the city!
ReplyDeleteThe birds seem louder to me... I am not sure if they are singing for all they are worth or if the traffic being quieter makes them seem louder. (Sometimes I hear cars go by at ridiculous speeds, so I was not surprised to read that there has been a 500% jump in cars driving 100 miles per hour in our county. The idiot-driver equivalent of singing louder because people are gone?) We certainly have a mixed bag these days. I agree with your last four lines!
ReplyDeleteOh, this is lovely. It really captures the moment!
ReplyDeleteI love this, Linda. The contradictions are so real and, alas, poignant. Small changes seem so grand these days.
ReplyDeleteThe one constant we share: Writing. Thank goodness. {}
We are noticing more, I think, now that we have time. This is a present yet ongoing moment. Thanks for posting this poem of presence.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Tabatha, Laura, Pamela, & Margaret. These are topics we might never have explored, aren't they, Poems of Presence in a different world? And thanks again, Michelle.
ReplyDeleteVery true...we notice more the noise now that we've had the quiet.
ReplyDeleteIt's all kind of surreal–the bird songs keep me grounded in the present. I like your leaving for a walk in the beginning of your poem and closing your door at the end, these actions both feel grounding. And yes there are many contradictions…
ReplyDeleteLinda, I think the use of the word contradiction in the middle was a marvelous choice.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda, Michelle, & Carol. I continue to be amazed by the early quiet, so different from before.
ReplyDelete