Afterwards, we drove up through
the scattered, shattered landscape,
houses like detritus flung against the fences
of suburban grids,
the actual people
clinging for survival
to the few pursuits that patch
their massive loneliness,
and maybe they don’t even know
the tide has gone out on their sustenance . . .

We thought about city repair,
and the work seemed so massive —
to create a structure
that belongs to us
and not the advertisers and investors.

But we have begun:
In this day we worked together
moving earth, transplanting hope
(represented here by many strawberries),
making connections which, with care
will spread in a great mat
and bear its fruit where everyone can share.

©Wendy Mulhern
January 18, 2014