He will ask us,
“Why did you not save
the planet I gave you?”
And we will reply,
“We did not know
the end was near.
We could not see it coming.”
And He will say,
“Did you not witness
the flooding in New Brunswick?
“Have you not seen
the rage of Hurricane Maria
in Puerto Rico?
“Were you not presented
with images of melting glaciers
in Greenland?
“Have you closed your eyes
to the rising sea level
in the Maldives?
“Did you turn your back
on the wildfires
burning California?
“Have you not been given scientists
to warn you
in every language?”
And there will be silence.
Will we stand there,
searching for answers,
as the gates of Heaven
close?
(Editor’s note: poet Shai Ben-Shalom, an Israeli-born biologist, examines current events in the Blacklock’s tradition each and every Sunday)
