Wobbly Legs
_

The ground beneath us
has shifted irrevocably
cracked wide open
with gaps too wide
to cinch back together

the once familiar solidity
now fractured and tenuous
no longer the sure thing
upon which we can stand
unfazed and unconscious

The storyboard illustrating
the next five years of our
well-planned journey
a full color version of how
we thought things should go

has been deconstructed
down to a blank canvas
awaiting fresh inspiration
bold strokes of innovation

Any attempt to pick up
the pieces and dust them off
put them back to their
former place of function
will most assuredly be met with
another quake of disapproval

a rumble of dissatisfaction
reinforcing the message
we didn’t get the first
few times around

We are meant to be
standing here naked
knees knocking
legs weak and wobbly
as we relearn how to
assist each other upright

place a cool washcloth of
solace and understanding
on the forehead of our neighbor

resist the urge to flee
such an intimate gesture
as we shed the stench
of individual might and
embrace the power
of the village

Our hoarding and coveting
have brought us here
belief that the stock market
the next great idea
the thing that makes us
sound good or look cool
is what will make us thrive

forgetting that our greatest
natural resource is us

the people that
love cherish and trust
that were put here
not to pillage the earth
ravage each other
while looking the other way

There will be moments of
doubt and dysfunction
times when we will curl up
into the known quantity
of our immediate surroundings

pull the blanket up
over our head so that we
don’t have to face the
vast landscape of
uncertainty before us

We must gather our courage
calm our ragged breath
as we face this unknown
invest in our unity for
more than a fleeting moment

remember that
there is enough
yes there is plenty
to go around
that we can heal this
sickness of separation
with repeated gestures of
acceptance and compassion

treasure the original
building blocks of humanity
by rejecting structures of
separation and greed
leading with courage
grace and love

©April 2020 Kimberly Jonas