Rise up from sleep, O people,
look with fresh-wakened eyes,
perceive, ponder, grow wise
by wondering. Another dead bird
on the road this morning. Wisdom
waits while science crashes
into unmarked fields, sends out
unedited reports on the world’s
newest dangers. Old earth,
your home, is creaking.
Can you hear how much
too fast the hidden heart is
beating? Are you still sleeping?
Rise, for the trees are weeping.
Ellen Roberts Young’s third chapbook with Finishing Line Press, Transported, came out in 2021. She has two full-length collections, Made and Remade (Wordtech, 2014) and Lost in the Greenwood (Atmosphere, 2020). Recent publications include Slant, Oyster River Pages, Rockvale Review, and Caesura. www.ellenrobertsyoung.com
