One Poem by Mark Hendrickson

 

Yet Scars Remain

 

After the Elder Kindred fled, 

And dragons faded into myth; 

Beyond when rainbows broke their promise, 

And ocean’s oblivion rose to cleanse— 

Aftermath of mortal folly— 

Came the end of Age of Man. 

 

After the planet’s final rending, 

Long-awaited second breaking; 

Past regret or good intention, 

Past when faith and love endured, 

The ancient gods of wood and water 

Woke to find the humans gone. 

  

Slowly the Mother cools and heals, 

And sundered forests reunite; 

Beasts and birds a balance strike, 

Nature spreads her arms again. 

Yet still the human's totems stand, 

Towering there amidst the trees. 

 

The Redwoods name this spire “Babel,” 

Drawn from some forgotten lore; 

Foundations deep as lamentation, 

Scars as deep as consequence; 

A haunted space where strange devices 

Mark the place where reason died.

 

Mark Hendrickson (he/him/his) is a gay poet and writer in the Des Moines area. His work has appeared in Variant Lit, Five Minutes, Leaf, Lothlorien, and others. Mark worked for many years as a Mental Health Technician in a locked psychiatric unit. He has advanced degrees in marriage & family therapy, health information management, and music. Connect with him @MarkHPoetry or on his website: www.markhendricksonpoetry.com