Going out for a movie in the cold and dark

I didn't want to go, riding my bike the short distance to the theatre,

The cold freezing my exposed cheeks, the snow sparkling on the sidewalks,

Asking myself why I made this mistake again to go out in the evening, on my own,

In the dark and the cold when I just want to stay home.

Until.

Until the screen lit up and there were bees and butterflies flitting about,

Men and women were talking to me, the reluctant gardener, about the importance

Of protecting our insects, the little ones that rule the world.

My anger rose hearing that their populations are down 50, 75% in the last decades,

Then fading into awe and wonder at how beautiful are the eyes of a fly.

I love the previews, where I saw an image of my neighbor, Loren, then a teenager,

Protesting for the rights of Blacks to enjoy Glen Echo Park.

These days he walks slowly through our neighborhood, and I wonder if 

His mind wanders back into those heady days of action.

Action, it is!  I am called, this freezing cold and dark night, to commit

To the pollinators, even in the face of drought and heat.

I'll remember the cold on my cheeks, and the memory will firm my

Resolve.