earth note 459

northside pittsburgh

it took the whole winter

to finally get a forecast of
six inches of snow
on the marshall trail
if i want to ski again i've got to be ready

the ground

still has some give to it
the deer never seem surprised
their bodies in motion
in full contrast

forty-eight years ago

it rained
as i walked down
to the draft board
to say
hell-no

every story has a moral

even this one
but don't ask 
the weatherman
to find the right map
it's time to go by instinct

forty-eight years ago

i refused army induction
passed out anti-war flyers & buttons
as the sergeant started his pep talk
and a couple of ready soldiers
grabbed me by the elbows
and moved me out

i tried eye contact

with the whole room
blurting out
a few words
like
you don't hafta cross that line

and that became my mantra

a muster of moral persuasion
in simple terms
but mainly
instinct
as if killing & dying
can be reduced
to a common denominator

--- e b bortz