One Earth, One World

The fox and now 2 deer, squirrels, still,

and the unseen wildlife roam this space

we share, call home, in the early dark

descending in autumn’s changing time;

 

we hear each other, see traces, glowing

eyes, a yip, a grunt, the rustle of leaves

and brush, the bark of my own dogs,

too domestic to give chase, alerting me

and them, no warning, just acknowledgment,

we are here, bound together, readying

ourselves, all of us, thriving, surviving,

facing the winter ahead, the cold and snow,

the dark and lean times, clear skies

and the smell of humanity near us,

hazy smoke and the roar of engines;

 

slow progress advancing, finding our way,

making our way to an unknown distant

future, as one, man and beast, one earth,

one world, nurtured, sustained, enduring.