My heart falls on its knees
in its journeying:
it flies in my mind up north,
to the melting glaciers,
to the drowning bears,
the thawing tundra.
It comes back home
to where the salmon and whales
are dying,
and the wolf families
have no where to hide
and raise their cubs.
It shudders with the trees
at the sound of the chainsaws
and the heartbreaking thump
as the great giants fall,
to make way for cars, for humans -
for us.
Will we miss being able to breathe
once they are gone?
What to do? What to do?
This family of humankind,
who desires so much to live -
can we put down our warring ways
and work together
to heal and save
this planet we all love?
The world is calling to us
as the sea levels rise,
as the forests burn,
as climate refugees make
their hard journeys away
from hopelessness
towards hope -
she calls us to
put our love into action,
put our love into action,
feet on the ground,
votes in the booth,
demands to elected officials,
tree sprouts into soft, welcoming earth.
Prayers,
for if ever we all needed
to pray and to act,
it is now.
for Susan's prompt at Midweek Motif: Climate Change
Yes, yes, and I love that you include the empowering reminders: ". . . she calls us to
ReplyDeleteput our love into action,
feet on the ground,
votes in the booth,
demands to elected officials,
tree sprouts into soft, welcoming earth."
And prayer! But it is the sprouts that get me--remembering that what we plant and tend is a great deal of what we'll have left. Publish this poem!
And I will plant some trees. In Tofino, too many big trees are coming down - irreplaceable ones. Some of us formed a society trying to protect and preserve what is left. Sadly, developers always win these battles, but all we can do is try. We can, at least, PLANT some. But it will take hundreds of years to produce trees like the ones being chopped down now.
DeleteCall me, a cynic. As I think that humanity won't act, until we lost entire nations, due to rising water levels in the seas and oceans. Or wars breakout due to the sacristy of drinkable water and food supple. Only when we're forced against the wall, will real change happen. Sadly, for many on this planet, it'll be too late.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is now, if not too late.
ReplyDelete"can we put down our warring ways"
ReplyDeleteWe should
Thanks for dropping by my blog Sherry
Muchđź’–love
we humans are responsible to take care of our home..let us join hands to do our job with full responsibility. A Great Call a great poem.
ReplyDeleteI love the passion in this Sherry. Makes me so sad to think that we may be too late. But hopefully, Mother is forgiving.
ReplyDeleteAmen Yes it is now Very well expressed Love it. Time for action safe what there is to safe and no standing back any more. Great you signed up for extinction rebellion. This is so touching :"tree sprouts into soft, welcoming earth"
ReplyDeleteTime is Now. But who is listening? The conspiracy to drown young minds in mammon's world is at its highest. And this is height of capitalism. Nothing can be helped till mother earth decides to get rid of us. Sorry for sounding so pessimistic. Hope this poem gets as many readers as possible.
ReplyDeleteA powerful reminder of what we are losing, Sherry.
ReplyDeleteSadly politicians are not working for the people that voted them in but just to please investors and backers who don't give a hoot about climate change all the while money can be made destroying the the sea, the forests, the animals we love so they can reap a profit. (All for the good of the country of course that is fast becoming a waste land).
ReplyDeleteFeet on the ground
ReplyDeletevotes in the booth.
That says it all.
Thanks.
I know you are passionate about this topic, Sherry. Your passion shows now in this poem. I hope pleas, to act now, like yours will continue to contribute to conversations about climate change.
ReplyDeleteYour grieving heart has taken us on a journey of all affected in this Sherry. Lovely, sad, and true. My prayers are lifting up.
ReplyDeleteTruth! Can anyone hear it? This should be published.
ReplyDelete