Terri Glass
Amid all this Light
Our only hope is--
phosphorescence
as night descends over the ocean.
Plankton glow like little lanterns
strung over a patio.
They blink on and off
a wavelength of
forgiveness.
I long to drift on the sea
with pulsating stars above
bioluminescence below
and be cream filling
amid all this light.
The ocean, a high vibration--
phytoplankton, lantern fish,
comb jelly, giant inky squid.
Each form infinitely
radiating genius.
I want the world to phosphoresce,
bubble up with light amid the ravaging
of nations, the unrest of a pandemic,
the injustice of politics.
Can we learn from these creatures
or do we drown in depths of separateness?
Can we rise to the surface and hold fast
emitting our own little beam of light?
Terri Glass is a writer of the natural world. She is the author of three books of poetry, most recent, Being Animal by Kelsay Books. Her work has appeared in Birdland Journal, Fourth River,Young Raven’s Literary Review, About Place, California Quarterly and many anthologies including Fire and Rain; Ecopoetry of California, Earth Blessings and upcoming in Wild Gods. She teaches with California Poets in the Schools and has a MFA in creative writing from USM.
Our only hope is--
phosphorescence
as night descends over the ocean.
Plankton glow like little lanterns
strung over a patio.
They blink on and off
a wavelength of
forgiveness.
I long to drift on the sea
with pulsating stars above
bioluminescence below
and be cream filling
amid all this light.
The ocean, a high vibration--
phytoplankton, lantern fish,
comb jelly, giant inky squid.
Each form infinitely
radiating genius.
I want the world to phosphoresce,
bubble up with light amid the ravaging
of nations, the unrest of a pandemic,
the injustice of politics.
Can we learn from these creatures
or do we drown in depths of separateness?
Can we rise to the surface and hold fast
emitting our own little beam of light?
Terri Glass is a writer of the natural world. She is the author of three books of poetry, most recent, Being Animal by Kelsay Books. Her work has appeared in Birdland Journal, Fourth River,Young Raven’s Literary Review, About Place, California Quarterly and many anthologies including Fire and Rain; Ecopoetry of California, Earth Blessings and upcoming in Wild Gods. She teaches with California Poets in the Schools and has a MFA in creative writing from USM.