HOLD the earth in your hands / be careful––she is hot / talk

to her tenderly the way you might your mother at the end of

her days / honour her / place her somewhere she might rest/

perhaps the mantle piece between your bone-china swallow

mid-flight & your fake brass barometer the shape of a ship’s
wheel that will not steer us out of the storm we are in /

despite her dishevelment, tell her how lovely she looks /

offer her tea / a scone / horlicks if it still exists / slip her

feet into soft slippers / massage her shoulders rounded

from the burden you have placed on them / cradle her in

your arms / 
now go to the mountains / yes, go / facetime will not suffice /

tell them you are sorry / return with no selfies––this is not the

time / now go to the rivers / listen to them / let them tell you

their stories / do not interrupt with your lies about your

recycling / like you are not guilty of slipping glass jars
& clean cardboard into the wrong bin / now get down on

your knees & beg their forgiveness / do not worry their

banks are no longer muddy your levis will stay dry /

understand in the event of a lack of oxygen no yellow

masks will drop from the sky / remove your stilettos /

leave all your personal belongings behind / tip toe 
past earth’s bed / leave a note under her pillow / apologise

profusely / tell her you’d drunk too much / that you weren’t

in your right mind / that you didn’t realise just how much

you’d loved her till she was gone / 
speak when she speaks to you / if your shame will allow

it make eye contact / answer her questions with an honesty

that will feel alien to you:
          yes we had ample opportunity / yes money

          was more important than water & air / yes

          we’re tired of our empty promises too / yes

          coal yes carbon yes methane yes plastic /

          yes dollars yes pounds yes euros yes yen /

          yes vegan yes sweat shops yes you warned

          us no we didn’t listen / yes we saw the signs

          yes we ignored them / yes the bees are in

          default / yes the banks are foreclosing their

          hives / yes we should have planted more

          lavender more rosemary more bottle brush /

          yes flooding yes fire yes species extinction /

          yes we should have been kinder / yes we

          should have stopped to think before we

          fucked her / yes we should have pulled out

          sooner / yes oral contraceptives yes STDs /

          yes we should have used a condom /

          yes we are sorry / yes

          look at this mess now.