Too Thin to Spawn an Echo
from here the atmosphere is space so vast
its depth’s enough to spawn an echo, but
seen from the moon imagine
a somewhat fat elastic band
stretched round a blue ball,
or slim mist of sweat evaporating
from the crown of a head still
clear enough to spawn an echo,
imagine an aura of oxygen
held by gauze of gravity but
with weave so slight so ephemeral yet
substantial enough to spawn an echo,
try to envision something absolutely
essential but, in perfect condition, invisible,
containing the essence of life, but
now see it thick with carbon,
a saturated scarf girdling a globe
at equatorial noon muffling billions
of small voices crying, Now we see! but
too late too weak too spent too thin
to spawn even an echo
Jim Culleny
9/4/21