There was a time, the singer crooned,
when all the creatures
shared the earth.
*from the song "Magic" by Dana Lyons
*from the song "Magic" by Dana Lyons
His song brings tears when I imagine
all living as they once did, harmoniously -
otter, bear, wolf, whale and tree,
so wild and free, each creature being
so perfectly
so perfectly
what it was meant to be.
We took a garden Paradise
and cut down all the trees,
poisoned all the bees,
polluted and over-fished the seas.
Now we have hurricanes instead
of a gentle breeze.
Now we have hurricanes instead
of a gentle breeze.
And we humans? Toxic rhetoric and hate
make me fear it is too late
to go back to the starting gate
and readjust our fate.
to go back to the starting gate
and readjust our fate.
But the earth-love in his song
helps make my spirit strong:
helps make my spirit strong:
we can't abandon Mother Earth,
for all her creatures have such worth.
So I'll sit under a tree, listen
to all she has to say,
and I'll promise to be good
as all earth's creatures should,
because it's all I have to give
to help her live.
For my prompt at What's Going On - how to be a good creature in a world gone topsy-turvy. Here is wishing us all the ability to face the challenges of 2025 as the good creatures we are.
What a beautiful poem, Sherry. The last stanza is my favorite. I hope that all humankind will ponder being 'good' to Mother Earth in the new year! That is all that we can do!
ReplyDeleteYour poem has a fairy tale effect for its beautiful rhyme and rhythm and the speaker's gesture at the end lights a hope. "and I'll promise to be good" is the greatest takeaway from this wonderful poem, Sherry. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI would like to send the link for this to Dana <3
ReplyDeleteBeautiful poem. It is so hard, Sherry, to be the goodest good we can when paradise is being shredded. Lets hope 2025 brings peace and good sense to all so we save the children and the planet. A very happy new year to you!!
ReplyDelete"But the earth-love in his song
ReplyDeletehelps make my spirit strong" and that's how you can respond in kind, listening and hearing and giving to help her live . . .
Wishing you the joy and comfort of the natural world as we enter another year - you so beautifully take us there - Jae
ReplyDeleteWouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone resolved to be good creatures and lived in harmony with every other living creature on the planet? Your poem, and the images you chose to illustrate it, speak to me, Sherry. I love the ‘ee’ rhymes, and the thought of sitting under a tree listening to Mother Earth.
ReplyDeleteOne day...
ReplyDeleteThis is so well crafted Sherry.
Keep sitting under that tree Sherry. You do a lot of good just being here sharing your thoughts. Suzanne - Wayfaring blog - Wordpress
ReplyDeleteI hope one day we will unite and live in harmony as it was meant to be from the beginning...until then I will take refuge in the sanctuary of nature. Beautiful poetry my friend.
ReplyDeleteUm, there was never any such time on this predator planet. As the US Park Service observes, a bear is not your fiend, though it may be friend-shaped. That said, ecosystems work well when not trampled over by greedyguts humans. The entire notion that we are "superior" and have first call on absolutely everything, makes me angry. As I know that you know well, we are just part of this world, a beautiful--if often harsh and violent--world that was doing just fine without us for millions of years.
ReplyDelete