Empire 🏳

How deceptive
this wonderland of alluring elegance
like fine filigree or delicate lace
snapping massive branches
from century-old trees
crashing to earth with terrible force
the ground itself shuddering
then silent.
And then another.

Rick Axtell has taught Religion at Centre College in Danville Kentucky for 28 years. Previously, he was Director of Louisville United Against Hunger and a case manager with homeless men at St. Vincent DePaul. He served on the board of Witness for Peace and has participated in over 20 WFP delegations to Colombia, Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. He is currently directing Centre’s study abroad program in Merida Mexico for a year, where he loves life with his dog Jake who is now chasing Yucatecan iguanas rather than Kentucky squirrels.