A Love Letter to Earth

To Earth, our provider
Whose giving reach is boundless
And generosity unimaginable
With motions powerful and exact.
You shake us.
You inspire us.
You move us
In every sense of the word.

You have always been there
And “there” is everywhere.
We simply
And tragically
Don’t say thank you enough.

We don’t say thank you enough
For the wind that cradles our silhouettes
A swift gust knocking us sideways
Before straightening our spines.
Stand tall, you say,
Reminding us that your power always surrounds us
And of our power within.

We don’t say thank you enough
For the sand and blues of the beach
With a salty breath, you wave hello
Sending a dancing breeze
Our skin sipping cool cerulean
Your playful coastline shimmying to its own song
Everything will come and go, you say with the tide.
Reminding us to cherish beauty, even when fleeting.

We don’t say thank you enough
For colors
After all, you introduced us to them all
Rich brown clay
Sweet, scarlet strawberries
Soft, white snow crystals
Deep, green sea moss
Every bit of your canvas leaves us in awe
Your butterflies give us butterflies.

Now and then, you send a rainbow
Stop and look, you say.
Reminding us to notice your colorful, magical, passionate expression of life
That we are blessed to call our home.

Thank you for it all.
For the oxygen you provide to our lungs each day
For the nectar dripping slowly down the skin of a peach
For the sunshine warming our skin
For thunder, ecosystems, mountains and trees.
Thank you for it all.

Our timeless matriarch
This is both a love letter and an apology
Because deep down we know
That at our very best
Our souls would join hands
And bow to you
Respect you with our actions
Singing our deepest thanks
Not for a moment, but in every moment.