i drink the rain - poetry

the past is disappearing from us
as if we're tumbling along
inside the power of a great wave
when most of our human history
spoke of mostly-calm rivers
and left the oceans to whales and vikings

the past has dropped out
from beneath our toes
like a deep spot on the beach
that led to a rip
toes from sand

some several generations past
our ancestors felt their roots through their soles
and saw their history in the river stones
and moved with the gentle tug
of the moon and far off ocean tide

but we of the mighty wave
we weren't raised for this
the ceaseless tumble
is unknown to our ancient cells
the wave leaves no time
for the building of a culture
of gentle shifts

tell the water
to let you go
fight back
hold your breath
tuck into yourself with the tumble
and surf when you can

because these waters are poison
not meant for us
our waters are poison
because we choose to buy cafo pork
our waters are poison
because we eat beef full of gmos
our waters our poison
because we spray our vegetables
with every chemical unknown
to our ancestors

and the ocean of the market aisles
of corporate monoculture
has subsumed us
and it's time to stop
tumbling about beyond control

catch the returning tide
with a death grip
because there's nothing out here
but death regardless
and if you can

struggle to shore
crawl back to the river
bury your arms in the pebbled sand
and then lie on your back-
even these waters are poisoned, now

take hold of what is left
of your roots
leave your face to the sky
rest with your mouth wide
and drink the rain