Refuge
In the dunes by the lagoon,
the plovers scurry on the sand,
like cotton balls pulled on a string.
The man with the binoculars patrols
the beach, watches over the colony.
He counts hatchlings, fletchlings, adults,
knows how many are born
in each quadrant of dune,
how many die. Each day
he updates the tally on the whiteboard
with a marker. He keeps the chicks
safe from off-leash dogs and blundering humans.
He has faith that he is doing sacred work.
It is a hard conviction to retain
in a world filled with anguish and sorrow.
He copes by caring for a small patch
of coastal habitat, and in it, for a small bird.
He knows some people will object
to wasting resources on a bird
when there are hungry and poor humans.
But the plight of the plovers tugs
on his conscience, and he knows:
each precious life has a part
in the symphony of creation.
It is his calling to provide refuge
so the plovers can play theirs.
About the Author: Agnes Vojta grew up in Germany and now lives in Rolla, Missouri where she teaches physics at Missouri S&T and hikes the Ozarks. She is the author of Porous Land, The Eden of Perhaps, and A Coracle for Dreams (Spartan Press), and her fourth collection Love Song to Gravity has come out from Stubborn Mule Press in spring 2025. Agnes is associate editor of Thimble Literary Magazine and host of the Poetry at the Pub reading series in Rolla. Her poems have appeared in a variety of magazines; you can read some of them on her website agnesvojta.com.
Image Credit: John Gould “Ægialitis hiaticula. Ringed Plover” Public domain image courtesy of Artvee
As It Ought To Be 