Build Back Better
when the flames engulf
your house
your city, your planet
-don't crumble
or yes, crumble
be like an aging statue
faltering on weathered stone
your final incantation
drifting into the breeze
and then -
with remnants strewn
around your carriage bone
tears blanching your face
build
back
better
-Abigail Somma
***
Dear reader of this poem-
So firstly, stanzas one and four(well, the final words of the poem) were in my head when I woke up a few days ago. Still in bed, the words were tumbling around in consciousness. A few hours later, I sat down to fill in the middle two stanzas.
“Build back better” is a phrase people used when I worked for UN disaster risk reduction.
But it’s very fitting for these times, isn’t it?
In many respects, the planet is a flipping mess at the moment - either we go down, muddle through the status quo OR grieve our losses and build back better. I hope we choose the latter. ❤️