Or They Will Destroy

 

Or They Will Destroy

You must learn the appetite of insects,
the temper of trees,
the love life of local fungus.
Or they will destroy.

Know the mass of snow,
the force of frost, the strain of stone,
the habits of soil,
even the perfume of the local air.
Or they will destroy.

Talk to people.
Customs are the accumulated wisdom of a place.
Respect the soul of these folk, this land.
Or they will destroy you
as they should.

……

First published in Verse-Virtual. Thank you James Lewis, editor.