As Desperate As We Are

Has any heart
been turned
completely to stone?
Green calls to us,
lushly.
It is full of rebirth
and forgiveness.

Our ears can’t shut
out the sound
of clement
waves.
We can’t turn off
the heart’s
eager beat.

As we get buried
under tons and tons
of dirt,
something in our limbs
still surges
with the instinct,

the living desire,

to claw our way
out.

As desperate
as we are,
as alive —

maybe we need
a little
help.