Poem of the Day
Forgotten of the Foot
Equisetum, horsetail, railway weed
Laid down in the unconscious of the hills;
Three hundred million years still buried
In this hair-soft surviving growth that kills
Everything in the glorious garden except itself,
That thrives on starvation, and distils
Black diamonds, the carboniferous shelf —
That was life...
A note from the editor: Today is Earth Day.
“Stevenson’s poem evokes scientists investigating micro-fossil pollen buried deep below the Earth’s surface. These ancient, microscopic messengers tell nature's story. The poet reminds us of the significance of the earth as both a repository of previous life forms and a harbinger of the ‘grim tales’ of mining.” - Guest Editors S.J. Fowler and Rebecca Kamen.
“Stevenson’s poem evokes scientists investigating micro-fossil pollen buried deep below the Earth’s surface. These ancient, microscopic messengers tell nature's story. The poet reminds us of the significance of the earth as both a repository of previous life forms and a harbinger of the ‘grim tales’ of mining.” - Guest Editors S.J. Fowler and Rebecca Kamen.
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