karin spitfire poem

This week one of the books I (gl) have been reading is Karin Spitfire's new collection of poems "standing with trees". Karin is one of four poets reading at our store tomorrow for our 27th store birthday party. I feel especially close to the title poem, as I was arrested, along with 14 others, for standing with trees on us route one in warren several years ago, protesting the unnecessary cutting of trees to widen the road. Here is that poem:

Standing with Trees

I haven't breathed easy
since the first time
I heard the chainsaws
cutting the Amazon

Rainforest
full of unnamed species
producer of great
drafts of O2

My lungs, soft pink
membranes
fitting like a glove
over branches and tips

Conjoined twins cut
who gets the heart
who mourns the phantom limb,
who dies?