an Emerald Crown

An excerpt from my poem “an Emerald Crown” painted on silk, embellished with beads.

We care, we want to care, and sometimes we’re too tired to care. This is the sense that came over me in a dream in which I was wearing an emerald crown. The emerald crown, an emblem of environmentalism, is a heavy one. And while it is easy find fault with others’ activities, I also struggle with the knowledge that I am complicit in the modern life that contributes to global warming. What changes can we make as individuals, and how far do we alter our lifestyle for the sake of the environment? It is a worthy question. When I wrote the poem about it below, I thought I might be giving up. Now I see it as a reckoning, an acceptance of what is so that I can move forward. Have a listen and see what moves in you.