I am the Silence, Poem by Wendy Robison 2019
The following powerful poem was created by Wendy for the CVPAG-CERCA Art Show and Estuary Exhibition "Estuary: Cradle of Life" on display from March 4 - 23, 2019 at the Arbutus Gallery Show Room of the Island Savings Center in Duncan
I am the cry of Silence
the wind of Silencelancing the heartI am the cry that shatters the grassesshatters the grasses . . .the wind that hurls the shattered seedsthat flail the Silence . . .I am the Silence of green sapweeping from the heartwoodI am the wing’s Silencethe Owl’s wing sharpening night’s lenssoundless Mouse screamsdown the vanishing pointforsakenforsaken! I am River: stumped and staunchedI am Swallow: my newborn starved to cradled boneI am Oyster: my whorls that charmed blue carbonmangled from River’s boom-scarred mouthI am Arbutus: stilted above the putrid marshmy leaves choked and clotted bysmoke raining red acidthat scorches the angry Sunscorches the angry Sun! we are the Eelgrasses: once we hid Damselflylilting over her eggs: fraught and foetid nowwe are orb-weaver spider, Sphinx moth, whirligigjellied bird’s nest licorice fern bumblebee camasssalmonberry tree frog little hanging batwe are the inflorescencethe dazzling ephemerasnuffed out like dead starssnuffed out like Dead Stars! we are the ebb and the flowthe day and the darknesspoised . . . waitingin the Cosmic Dance and we are Named!Osprey Harlequin Trumpeter Loonbelted Kingfisher Raven Marsh Wren CormorantGreat Blue Heron stalking the intertidal flatswhere purple-carapaced Crabs Sea Stars Sand Dollarssidle and sparkle among salt-crusted tidepoolsWe are Sea Slug Lettuce Sponge Cucumberflickering Anemones and opalescent Moon Jellieswe are Nudibranchs: luminous hermaphroditescavorting in the tidal birthing sacinfatuating and wild in our sex play and we are the Salmon gilded redand sperm-rich we feedthe Rainforest our fragrant rotthe Bears who feast and drop their richesthe Cedars climbing the Skybreathing Spring’s lime-lit rainsinseminating riparian banksvirginal buds and erectile Swamp LanternsDragonflies wheeling frivolousand love-mad:we are this Bloom!this magic greenimprinting Light into Life!we are this Fragrancethis numinous Dancethis scintillation of Cosmic Seedthis radiantGrace