An Anthology of Poetry and Commentary
Published 2021
The Earthquake Flowers of Fukushima
They whisper from behind the stones
Their roots embrace the peaks and cracks
Waiting for the raindrops to hurt them
But the earthquake flora does not die
Helplessly groaning and moaning
Covered with a blanket of dust
Only the lightning uncovers colors
The bleeding petals push the soil
Embracing the radioactive landscape
In hidden crevices elusive perfumes bloom
A deeper wound in a meltdown cave
These days, hours and minutes unknown
To the clock, to the calendar, to the memory
By the time the sun scans the tops of the trees
The rain of deadly flowers strikes
The twister that lifts the broken roofs
Spins purple moon and elongated clouds
Stringing together the unidentifiable birds
Leathery lizards swarm the shrines
Nuclear gutter birds in green heaven
Spin like an Ouija board out of control
Arid lead petals cover a bleak landscape
Wild flowers burst and bubble into the sky