A New Year’s Resolution:

May my life be far less interesting 

Than these too interesting times. 

Big Basin, 2020: 

97%, 80,000 acres of forest,

Eclipsed by fire.

A sign remained standing. It read: 

The Amazing Ever-Living Redwood Tree!

Thank all the gods that never were

That my New Year’s Resolutions

Never come true.

That in spite of our good intentions

The world begins again,

Over and over

After each incendiary inundation. 

Now, the California everlastings 

Bloom their maple syrup scent. 

Banana slugs crawl

Over surreptitious roots.

And fungus sings 

In its mycelial rounds. 

And I–I resolve 

To make crepes

Just as soon as I can go

To the store

To buy

18 fresh brown eggs.

And I will eat the crepes

Very slowly, with a Suzette sauce, 

Or perhaps just Nutella.

And my friends will be there,

And my dog, too. 

Redwoods have long roots, you know–

100s of feet in every direction.

Bound to the earth, 

Bound to each other,

They stand tall

Without any resolutions

At all.