A rose in July

A eulogy to 86 million acres of American Dreams

a rose in July 
begs the question:
what are the ingredients
to survive this 
brutal world, 
to continue on 
breathing and living
while the oil fields
expand like a hoop skirt,
while the miners 
burrow down deeper 
into the cut --
what's really needed
on the packing list
to la la land, and 
what promises
to simply weigh me down?

am i just another
japanese beetle
skeletonizing these
leafy groves?
am i too invasive,
too out of control?
send in the invisible nematodes 
to stem the wormy grubs,
to harness actions 
of what I do but
do not know!

it's so hot out.
too hot to walk 
the dogs i've chose
to parent. 
too hot to sit still 
under the maple 
and listen,
take in the natural
speed of things.
too hot to prune
the boxwoods,
to scatter sunflowers seeds,
to walk from 
where I am now 
to where I need to go.
too bright, too sunny
to stop along
the way 
flick off the shelled pest, 
and smell 
the Easy Spirit™ Floribunda.

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“In his second term, President Trump has taken action to remove protections from more than 86 million acres of public lands, threatening beloved landscapes and wildlife across the country.” — American Progress Magazine