Questions to ask this Earth
Linda King
. . . do the trees still canopy
the avenues in Winnipeg?
. . . and do the white swans
still fly over the lake?
. . . does the earth hear the music
the ocean is playing?
. . . and do the ocean’s pebbles
taste of the sea?
. . . are the sirens still sounding
in the far away cities?
. . . and are the old men playing
Canasta in the train station?
. . . do the hummingbirds know
how fragile they are?
. . . and who taught the songbirds
to carry a tune?
. . . how many words are there
for the sea?
. . . and why do all the rivers
run to it?
. . . does driftwood choose
which beach to wash up on?
. . . and are whitecaps the ocean’s way
of shouting at the shore?
. . . does the circle know
it has no end?
. . . who will give you directions
to the rest of your life?
. . . do the ashes remember
the fire?
. . . and do the embers fly away
to begin a new blaze?
Linda King is the author of five poetry collections including Reality Wayfarers (Shoe Music Press, 2014) and Antibodies in the Alphabet (BlazeVox Books, 2019). Her work has been published in numerous journals in Canada and internationally, including here in ē·rā/tiō. She lives and writes on The Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, Canada.