the actual pingpong of the abyss

of one million species
in the next 42 years.
That’s one species
every 22 minutes
two point seven
every hour.

I’m walking my
not often enough
five mile walk
around a portion
of the perimeter
of the town
where I live.

A Monterey Pine
lopped off at
about 30 feet
stiffs I call them.
A pile of segments
at its base the
three foot chunks
are riddled with
woodpecker
acorn stashes.

Three miles of
my walk is along
the shore of the
Pacific Ocean and
the Monterey Bay.

Gray overcast day
hardly a horizon
on the water.

Someone drives
too close to me
golf greens mower
tractor droning in
the distance
seagulls squalling
joggers jogging
yellow jacketed
cyclist laboring
uphill. “You know I
feel better than I have
all this week”—two
women barreling
downhill on their
mountain bikes.
Walkers walking.
More cyclists—a nice
little old lady in a
black outfit with
a silver helmet
pedals slowly by.
She nods and says
“Good morning.”

Surfers surfing
probably not
aware of the two
Great White Shark
fatalities over
the years that
bookend the ocean
and bay portion of
my walk. Ignorance
isn’t bliss it’s just
ignorance. Ignore-
ance. Bliss is
something else.

A string of pelicans
cruising low over
the water.
Parked cars
people getting
in and out.
Motor boats waking
the water probably
on their way
to catch fish.
Houses being remodeled
houses being built.
Skillsaw shrieking.
Contractor pickup truck
pulling up to disgorge
a balding man in a
hawaiian shirt crossing
the road toward the sound.
Seven pickup trucks
within a 75-foot radius.
A roofing supply flat
bed truck drives by.

A police car drives by.

Copper colored
Chevrolet Corvette
chain saws and
woodchippers
whining and
hacking.

The Pace Arrow
mobile home with
all the bumper
stickers and peace
decals is parked
in its usual place.
Now it has purple
hand-written slogans
elaborating its message:
All Life Is Sacred.

I walked for an hour
and 45 minutes.
Four point seven
two five species
went extinct.