Hello dear Earth, dear Earth hello —
Here it’s sunny today, and I feel glorious. The tiny few clouds in the sky are feathering the rim of the mountains over the way, leaving the vast expanse clear. My plants have been steadily rained on, and now are lifting their faces to drink the sun.
Earth, I marvel at your weathers which result in such real, visible effects. Nature is indeed a Goddess, all-knowing, all-wise, all-nurturing. (OK, for now we’ll conveniently ignore floods, hailstorms, cyclones ... no doubt they too have their uses.)
Leaning in, I reflect how this pandemic has had its uses, as we have been forced to confront different ways of living, and we have been shown the good effects of our reduced ‘footprints’ on the landscape. These lessons come at horrendous cost. Here in Australia, where the danger has been handled fairly well, it’s hard to imagine what it must be like In countries where thousands are dying daily. It must seem as if no object lessons could be worth it ... and yet, isn’t it the very conditions we’re being shown ways to correct which led to the pandemic in the first place? The overcrowding, notably.
Listing gratitudes, I just know I am grateful for my life, and for spending it on this beautiful, amazing planet. I have always felt that, all my life — and even if my life had been cut short early, I would still have thought myself lucky to be here for any time vouchsafed.
Offering you my gratitude and delight, dear Earth, I offer also everything I am, your humble servant.
Submitted (a couple of months later) to Poets and Storytellers United's Writers' Pantry #34: Writing Is Easy.
Submitted (a couple of months later) to Poets and Storytellers United's Writers' Pantry #34: Writing Is Easy.
Love how 'the clouds are feathering the rim' I agree that there is a good side to everything also the pandemic as emission levels have reduced dramatically.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes we should be servants of our beautiful earth as it provides so much for us Our life depends on it
I think we in NZ and Australia have been better off than some other places pandemic-wise. I do hope numbers start reducing everywhere.
DeleteIf only more of us all over the world felt this way. Sadly humankind has never seemed to relish the value of the Earth preferring to rape and abuse it for their own purpose. Hopefully we will learn eventually but the lesson will be hard.
ReplyDeleteHopefully indeed. We must all keep speaking up, I believe.
DeleteI would love to read Earth’s reply, but I have, it’s there in your words, Rosemary, in the ‘tiny few clouds in the sky [are] feathering the rim of the mountains and the plants ‘lifting their faces to drink the sun’! Everything has its uses, it depends on how one looks at it, and I agree that the pandemic has taught us lessons, but only those who are open to learning can appreciate and understand the different ways of living and the effects of our reduced ‘footprints’ on the landscape. I wish someone would invent sunglasses that helped everyone to see this clearly.
ReplyDeleteHow delightful a thought, to read Earth's reply! And yes, you are right – the replies are always visible; we only have to look and see. In the absence of those glasses, I guess we must keep pointing it out to those who are short-sighted or looking in the wrong direction.
DeleteNicely written.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteThis makes me sad for how bad it is now in U.S. But I also love your vision. .
ReplyDeleteIt must be very terrifying to live in the US just now, or any of the other countries where the pandemic is really bad. I hope and pray that most people will play safe and things will turn around soon.
Deleteit's always good to be grateful.
ReplyDeletei am glad your country is handling the pandemic well. over here, the curve is flattening, cases are dropping. the key is just being sensible. wear a face mask outside, adopt safe distancing measures. just a little loss of 'freedom' to stay safe.
I in turn am glad your country is turning the corner. As for Australia, since I wrote this we have begun a 'second wave', so the restrictions are severe again, especially in the big cities.
DeleteOh those cloud are so uplifting. Happy Sunday Rosemary
ReplyDeleteMuch💝love
Thanks, Gillena. Your own Sunday posts are always uplifting.
DeleteI love seeing your garden in the words, the way your blooms smile at the warmth. The second paragraph made me laugh aloud. I bet that there is much to be said about the uses of floods and hailstorms, lol!
ReplyDeleteWe all should be this grateful for the gift of a home.
It's easy to forget. This was such a good little practice of mindfulness, as it had me stop and remember, and took me daily into deeper truths.
DeleteI embrace your gratitude, as I am sure Earth does. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteNow I've gone all warm and gooey! (But I think you were already well supplied with your own store of gratitude.)
DeleteThe imagery here is beautiful and it reminds me to be grateful for what I can see (tiny creatures creeping through the backyard, vines that have had a summer of daily attention rewarding the enforced view) and to use it to combat the sourness of watching selfishness increase suffering.
ReplyDeleteYour back yard sounds quite like mine in some respects. (Smile.)
Delete*sigh* I am glad that someone I know is in a country handling this well. November can't come fast enough, though I think making assumptions about how things will play out would be a terrible mistake.
ReplyDeleteI wrote this two months ago. Now our 'second wave' of the virus is happening... So much of how we deal with it is guesswork, though so far we seem to have guessed better here than many other places. Still it's a worry.
DeleteI agree that assumptions about your November results could be dangerous. I hope it all turns out for the best.
I so admire your attitude, Rosemary!
ReplyDeletePerhaps it's inborn (smile). We need attitudes like yours as well, I think, as expressed in your latest. A combination of realism and idealism might be what would bring about a better future.
DeleteYes we are going to have to live differently...we have much to be grateful for
ReplyDeleteNice to know we are on the same wavelength.
DeleteI so enjoy your conversations with Earth. I share many of your gratitudes, and admire your ability to express them so eloquently and honestly. It is good to know you, my cyber friend!
ReplyDeleteGood to know you too, dear Bev, and your writings.
DeleteI like your descriptions and gratitude.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the good feedback!
DeleteYour reverence and love for earth is evident with each of your Hellos as well as a healthy respect which I share. I enjoy reading your words, Rosemary.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Joel. Your own respect for the natural world is evident in your writings, which I in turn enjoy reading.
DeleteThis is incredibly poignant, Rosemary!💝 I resonate with; "we have been forced to confront different ways of living, and we have been shown the good effects of our reduced ‘footprints’ on the landscape." We are more resilient than we give ourselves credit for!💝
ReplyDeleteI do hope that is so, en masse. I keep hearing that many people are suffering emotional distress due to the enforced isolation. And yet, we have been a resilient species so far.
Deletei can relate to the "grateful" part. i too am grateful for a lot of things. esp. during this pandemic. bless your muse Rosemary.
ReplyDeleteThat's nice to hear. Thank you!
DeleteThe little things and the big wonders - I hope this inspires me to try this form again. Love how you list everything in such a matter-of-fact-peaceful way.
ReplyDeleteIt's really about getting present to what's there at the time – outwardly and inwardly, peaceful or otherwise. I'm thrilled it inspires you.
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