The Raven (apologies to E. A. Poe)

I continue to be fascinated with the role of the raven in the Noah story.  He was sent out from the Ark, then disappeared.  Why mention him?  Why not omit the raven, and keep the dove, shining white in the sun with the sprig of green in his beak?  I think the raven was necessary, somehow.  Someone had to go first.  The dove got the press release.


Yes, this is about way more than the raven.  It*s my way of saying that both ends of the spectrum and everyone in between is vital, necessary to the picture.  And again... someone has to go first.

There are so many ways

to give back.

It*s not just green,

A good thing for Planet Earth.

In Boston we put out the bottles

For deposit

When it was early and light enough

So people could find them

Before trash day.

Here the metal goes out

In the light.

The white truck with the wooden sides

Comes through about 6:45 in the evening.

It scouts the streets.

It*s not just green,

It*s rainbow colors,

Still black on one end of the spectrum

White on the other

Oh sure

We know there are colors

We can*t see

But there are rainbow colors between

Black and white

Dark and light

The colors range in between

They fade into each other.

It*s not just green

We need to consider.

We live on the Ark.

Sometimes we*re the raven,

Sometimes the dove.

We know the raven

had to go first.

Someone always has to go first.

The dove

Got the press release.

So many ways

To dig things into community soil,

To wing out to find new land.

Someone has to go first.

So much more than adding to the universal

Compost heap,

The heap piled

Out back, out of sight.

There are colors we can*t see.

Green is good, but

So many colors in between

The raven

And the dove.

Someone has to go first.

Someone always

Has to go first.