the world doesn’t offer us hope
it does, however, offer us the possibility 
of transcendence 

and that’s something, believe me, 
i’ve practiced 

step one: tread lightly. each spoonful of earth contains the remnants of a galaxy

step two: be watchful of crows. they, too, are magnanimous spirits

step three: marvel at the snails underfoot, without whom we wouldn’t know ourselves 

step four: hummingbird

step five: of ants and earthworms and the like…as dust recoils from the stars, etc. 

in what breathtaking ways 
we are pulled 
toward the unseeming
possibility of goodness