I thought Eliot wrote,
“Not with a bang but with a whimper.”
I thought Stipe sang,
“And I feel fine.”
So why do I hear and feel
these gunshots?

I remember the beach being wider than this
bang!
I never see fireflies anymore
bang!
The weather can’t seem to decide what season it is
bang!
One hurricane after the next
bang!
One earthquake after the –
bang!
One flood after –
bang!
One blizzard –
bang!

I guess if there are enough bangs
all crammed together
with hands over our ears
it sounds like a whimper.
I feel afraid.