Sadness

She arrives with no notice
Engulfing, and folding me 
Deep into her embrace

Where does she live and
Why can’t I ever see her coming?

She strokes my back so hard 
I can’t move

Spreading her hands around 
My heart and gripping it hard

She places wires upon my chest 
Connecting me up to the earth’s heartbeat

I can’t block it out 
I must feel and hear 
The sadness
With every stroke

She shows me the dying forests
The choking oceans
The crying children
The spreading fires

The tears of their sadness are 
Rolling down my cheeks
Their sadness becomes mine
Mine becomes theirs

Entangled in each other’s suffering
Who is she and why does she come?
Why does she do this to us?

I sit in these paralysing waves
And part of me wants to break free
While another part 
Wants to be washed right over

I sit in these waves
And time slows

I sit in these waves 
And everything goes quiet

I sit in these waves
And then 
I hear music

Then, I see paintings
Then, I feel the love 
Of billions of humans
And Trillions of species 

Trying to live here
In love, with sadness all around