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.