Grinnll

A bird sanctuary faces my house
on the eastern access to the river
which the Army Corp of Engineers damned
with the result that it's swampy.
Turtles as big as tires sun bathe there,
and there are trees ten stories tall on average

When winds blow from the Ocean Front,
as will they have before Jamestown was founded,
in squalls and gales and storms that frighten,
the canopies, shake unperturbed, and shout in sing;
"So a few of us will fall,
so a few will break their necks."

When such is the heavy weather,
the trees raise their arms and wave celebratory:
"We are here, have always been
as long as memory has deemed to serves us."
The forest talks in tongue humans do not hear.
but is recognized by birds and lower creatures.

What trees lack is a serious appreciation of Time Before,
of when trees were not
because earth fumed, sizzled and spat
and broke atrocious gasses,
But even then, Grrnnll -speak was uttered by other natives;
mineral Grrnnll that stunk of sulfur
Grrnnll downpours which quenched and soaked.

As I write, hail is crashing,
and it's but the 28th of May.
Maybe Grrnnll arrived by comet;
sperm, seed and angel dust
"Comm witt usens to believe.
Will show dings, go figure."