Two Worlds, One Planet

Things you can’t take for granted

city park bench, 11am, between kid sessions, killing some time

clicking through the world’s latest atrocities

you look up and see two butterflies kissing

as you sip your black, bitter coffee

can’t they get a room?

no, they must do their business in broad daylight

as if trying to persuade you that nothing is really wrong with the world

that all is butter, kisses, and roses

butterflies boffing in the morning sun, shamelessly, openly, happily

interrupting your sober ritual of grumpy morning doom-scrolling

what does global warming and the arms race have to do with nature innocently and happily fucking itself? you ask

nothing, as far as you can tell

but neither does the sun rising, or the barista kindly making you a delicious coffee

or the fact that your heart still somehow beats, and your legs obey you when you want to take a morning stroll

or that you just showed a struggling ten year old child the delight of employing symbolism and subterfuge in her writing

or the fact that your wife of ten plus years is still happy to see you when you arrive home from work

none of it has anything to do with fossil fuels, nuclear weapons, or the indiscriminate bombings of dead civilians

and yet, the difference between the two worlds seems delicate, temporary, tenuous

and you know better than to take anything for granted

as the planet is far smaller than it looks

but here, now, you will thank the skies for these little treats

for the privilege of being able to drink your coffee this late morning, under the sun, unmolested

© Carlo Zeno 2023

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Thanks for reading, and thank you to the team at Blue Insights. Before you go, check out these two powerful poems by Zivah Avraham and Obinna Uruakpa below 🙏