Old Fires as the Earth Wakes from Slumber

I do not believe
to love my country
is the same
as to love the land.

My country
is three hundred million opinions
joined at the polls
on election day.

The land is the ground
as my feet pass over it
without the pretense
of ownership.

My country
feels battered
by different visions
of direction and providence.

The land
evolves as climate changes
through migrations
and deadwood burning.

copyright © 2022 Kenneth P. Gurney