“Nothing is Static or Neutral”

Ferocious as a violin
whose bow knows constant friction
this morning saw the day begin
with nature’s noisy diction

The bee’s electric rushing notes
ignite the air with sparks;
while monarch haphazardly dotes
on flowers, in an arc

Dragonflies in endless motion
avoid the beaks of birds;
squirrels with hoarding’s wild devotion
dispute, fencing with words

The outside world is never still
nor is it ever neutral;
the static of my mind rebels
against its cloying pull

“Make a choice and spring to action!”
the morning seems to say
but love’s path seems to me more brazen:
in peace, I’ll start today

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This poem, again, was inspired by a line from Mary Oliver’s Poetry Handbook – a line that I can’t seem to locate in the text, so sadly I can’t share the page number, but I made a note of it and immediately wrote a poem, so I know it’s in there. The line that inspired me is the poem’s title.

Thank you for reading!