Cartesian

Cartesian calculations fall unevenly

over the land —

we walk on the bumps of frost heaves

and mole diggings, deer boundings

and many other unknown forces

It’s the same with everything we thought we knew —

we’ve learned there’s no point in arguing

about minute alignments in the realm of straight lines —

they may inform us,

but none of them contain the final truth.

We need to find the places upon the land

where they all meet,

we need to soften every view

to find what’s true.

©Wendy Mulhern

June 14, 2018