climate/change by Laura Bither

Today we watched the ocean burn.
In school, they taught us how to extinguish fires, “life skills,” they said
water extinguishes fire, one can’t exist with
the other, they said
this was never supposed to happen.
They used to call it “survival,” not “life,” but maybe that was before it was
they were
the same.
Back when ocean was water, not fire or storm.

The kelp farm survived (lived) –
good news for the Community.
After all this time, it feels like one of few constants –
a dependable food source fed by a dependable excess of carbon fed by a dependable excess of
human consumption
so, not all roads are dead-ends
just underwater.

 Skeletons of cities (“progress,” they said) quivering under ribbons of heat, robbed of chaos
green shoots pushing past cracks, places
fled abandoned forgotten
or
instead
laying still under ever-changing, ever-rising waters
(life-giving and –taking)

Some cities fared better.
Our Portland, thriving 30 years ago
on everyone’s getaway (get away) list
As the tides lapped at brick and steel
every year greedily encroaching
the peninsula narrowed, revealing an island for
The Elite –
Shirking change, they build and rebuild
on top of one another
the poorest among them forced out of home and in to sea (but are they so different?),
abandoning the charade to become the newest members of our Community.

Our Community
members united by place and circumstance
bound soundly by shared wisdom
Tonight’s lesson: the Three Sisters
our permaculture gardens flourish under indigenous guidance
leafy sprouts shoot radiant reminders of resilience.

These days, we share
food, dance, medicine, books, language
but especially knowledge. Always knowledge.
We attribute our successes to this prolific interchange;
in it, a conscious refusal to repeat history’s mistakes of senseless arrogance and bias
Instead we learn to forage mushrooms and pound yams
we heal our sick and injured deep in the therapeutic wilderness
we solve conflicts with restorative justice
one Community living with and for our Earth
(“there’s only one,” they’d say) (look how far that got them)

✷      ✷      ✷

I hum as I plant, fingers wriggling in soil, lost in place
when I realize something is wrong:
I’m surrounded by the suffocating absence of sound
When did birdsong fold into stillness?
when did the ocean breeze withdraw, leaving behind only empty
anticipation ?
nervous electricity prickles my spine as it starts to course through the air and I realize
The water will come.

I can barely outpace the gathering darkness
my practiced sprint is a pathetic defense against the growing storm
a familiar terror invades my body
The pounding of my heart echoes furious waves, but I hazard a glance to sea
a cloud of spray has obscured the island
the Elite are under attack
this time might be different for them
(how foolish to think their privilege is unending)

I bargain desperately for our Community to be spared.
But, our foundation is rooted in what others lack
we embrace change
hunger to learn
adapt with our environment
all this driven by hope, love, and respect
for all.
With deep faith in our Community, I finally reach a place to rest
and face the storm.