We are the country that shunted whole peoples
onto fragments of their land,
took away their children,
interned those of Japanese descent in wartime,
clear-cut the planet’s safety valve
of temperate rainforests.
Now we force oil from sand,
export raw asbestos,
farm diseased salmon,
build accident-prone pipelines,
say no to Kyoto.

I used to travel the world
smug and reassured, fl aunting
my maple leaf fl ag-patched backpack.
I loathe hockey, love baby seals.
What can I do?
Carbon-offset every mile,
sew the patch on upside-down,
paint oil and tears dripping,
explain myself.