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Friday, February 24, 2017

Songs of All Creatures



The Elaho River
photo by Jon Merk


The earth sings in liquid notes:
roar of waterfall,
trickle of creek,
rush of river,
ebb and flow of the ocean tide.

Let it trickle through your fingers.
It is precious,
the basis of all life.

Thank the water.
Pray to the water.
It hears you.

The earth sings
in rushing wind,
in crackling fire,
in soft breezes,
in thunder, 
in crack of lightning,

in dawn's gentle rise
over the mountaintops
of the world.

Listen with your very being
to the message
coming to you
on the wind.

Listen for direction
in the way that
you must go,
for all the spirits know.

The earth sings
through its creatures:
cry of eagle,
chirp of junco,
caw of raven,
howl of wolf
in the wintery midnight,
roar of lion
on the hot savannah,
soft padding footsteps
of snow leopard
on its icy slope.

Listen to their songs and cries.
They speak their own language,
but if we listen
with our hearts,
they are trying to tell us
what we most need to know
about how to live together
in this world.


written in 2013 and shared with the Poetry Pantry at Poets United, where you will find good reading to go with your coffee every Sunday morning.

29 comments:

  1. I'm listening. I'm listening. We really do need to be still and pay attention to the singing of the earth....so many beautiful songs!

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  2. Sing on maiden of nature. May your heart be known. ...before it;s too late...

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  3. A timely reminder of the most important things of all.

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  4. "Listen with your very being
    to the message
    coming to you
    on the wind." Only if we all could do that we would truly enrich our life..so beautiful and important message Sherry...

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  5. The earth so beautiful and her songs so full of promise. Beautiful poem,Sherry.

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  6. You are right, we need to listen... the wind and nature has a voice.

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  7. Earth song... if only we stop to listen. Beautiful, Sherry.

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  8. Sadly, we're deaf, to Her song serenading us.

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  9. The sadness is that there are just not enough that care that can sway the politicians, miners, and industrialists the preserve the Earth... just how little they must think of their own children!

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  10. Well we all stem from and return to nature. A wonderful poem :)

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  11. Oh! This is beautifully poignant, Sherry❤️ especially; "The earth sings in rushing wind, in crackling fire, in soft breezes, in thunder, in crack of lightning, in dawn's gentle rise over the mountaintops of the world" took my breath away!❤️

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  12. I am always listening for the songs of the earth. We must preserve this world if we are to exist and water is the key to survival for all living things.

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  13. A few months ago, we feared it would take years to refill the storage dams after last years drought - they were filled in one week of rain. Water is something I will never take for granted. It is precious.

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  14. The nature does speak to us and you portray the voices beautifully. They are all trying to tell us that we can all live together. That's a significant lesson given the extent of havoc we have wreaked.
    A very meaningful write. :-)
    -HA

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  16. In Sunday school they taught us God is everywhere. It was kind of hard to understand back then.
    Happy Sunday Sherry

    Much love...

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  17. What a wonderful way to start my Sunday with your beautiful words. I'm reminded of something I read, "Be still and listen. God whispers".

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  18. Down by the water...a lovely piece, honoring the water and the wind and all it has to tell us. xoxoxoxohugs

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  19. Her song is low...a whisper...but she speaks to all of us.

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  20. I fear that if we cannot listen we will die--beautiful invitation to the dance Sherry!

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  21. I am listening to the symphony, and hoping I am hearing the right things...

    This is beautiful, Sherry.

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  22. This sparkles so melodiously - I love "The earth sings in liquid notes". What an indelible line of poetry. Your words and your message: exquisite.

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  23. what we most need to know
    about how to live together
    in this world.

    Great ending, Sherry! There are cries and appeals for living together in peace but nobody seems to care anymore

    Hank

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  24. Thank you for reminding me of the sustaining and restoring power of earth's many and wonderful songs!

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  25. A sweet poem that should be read in and as part of the natural world.

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  26. I do love your poetry. Reading it just makes me feel good.

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  27. Very wise words, as always, Sherry! Nature knows no pride, no boundaries and no prejudice.

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  28. This feels like a song. I want to sing along with all of my heart.

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