Wednesday, January 22, 2014

"It Is Enough" - Anne Alexander Bingham

To know that the atoms
of my body
will remain

to think of them rising
through the roots of a great oak
to live in
leaves, branches, twigs

perhaps to feed the
crimson peony
the blue iris
the broccoli

or rest on water
freeze and thaw
with the seasons

some atoms might become a
bit of fluff on the wing
of a chickadee
to feel the breeze
know the support of air

and some might drift
up and up into space
star dust returning from

whence it came
it is enough to know that
as long as there is a universe
I am a part of it.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I stumbled upon this poem thanks to npr. I am a chemistry teacher.
Her poem embodies my belief of life, where we come from and where we will go.
Thank you Ms. Bingham...I know you are here :)

Renton said...

Thank you for this comment. I, too, am trained in the sciences and also share Bingham's outlook on life and death.

I want to suggest subscribing to Garrison Keillor's "The Writer's Almanac." I have been receiving this daily email for about fifteen years and it the source of most of what I deem share-worthy.