Parachute
by Mark Causey
Your parachute did not open.
Don’t panic, it does not help.
Don’t waste what precious time is left
On anger and recrimination.
At this point, what does it matter who’s to blame?
It won’t change the simple fact that
Your parachute did not open.
You are flying, for now.
Barrel roll and glide at will.
Feel the great rush of wind.
Take in the view.
See the sun, the clouds,
Tree tops,
The colorful patchwork quilt of the ground.
So much beauty!
Think of how many humans who have ever lived
That never got to see things from your perspective.
You knew all along that you could not hold onto the Earth forever,
Just as you could not let it go either.
It is holding you now,
Pulling you close.
Don’t waste time bargaining for a miracle.
Magical thinking is of no use to you here.
Instead, as you descend,
Lift up a prayer of gratitude
For all that has been your life.
Speak a blessing to all you have loved.
You still have a little time left.
You are fortunate because
You alone get to decide how to use it.
Mark Causey teaches philosophy at Georgia College with a focus on food, animal, and environmental ethics. He and his wife live in Milledgeville, Georgia (USA) with their rescue cats and dogs. Mark is a member of the Deep Adaptation group on Facebook.
Kaye Zeiger Cantwell
My life work has been End-of-Life care. They are lovely wise words for Hospice patients. And aren’t we all that?
Cat Jenkins
Gosh: that’s powerful….and beautiful. Thank you to Mark.
Alexandra Ellen Appel
I love this poem. Thank you <3
Les W Kuzyk
Good one. I speculate on our near future storyline potentials in novel form. Researched, to warn and inform. Pinatubo II set in 2027, and Krakatoa II five years later. Working on the third in the series just now. https://climaterealityseries.wordpress.com/