Planet Earth
It is the thirteenth of June 2018
On a warm summer’s day
That I have spent writing and reading.
It was a pleasant day.
Yet there were no swifts in the sky this afternoon.
I am sorry for that.
My garden is full of flowers and the grass is mown
But there is no room for nature.
I am sorry for that too.
What are we doing to you?
How can you bear it?
As we dig and chop,
Fence and rip,
Sterilise and sanitise.
Is this what you want?
That we should tame and reduce?
Tie you in knots?
And reduce your complexity
To our simplicity?
How long will you put up with it?
Mother Earth
Are you powerless?
Planet earth can you hear me?
I am talking to you.
You gave me so much
And I value it all.
But this is becoming less by the day.
How can you bear to see so much destroyed?
So many creatures killed?
So much cruelty and pain?
Planet Earth
Is it alright if we cause you to bleed like this?
Planet Earth
You’ve given me a full life
Laden with stars, sunsets and rainbows
Rocks, trees and seas,
Creatures of all kinds,
Plants and wonders
Always wonders –
How can I repay you?
You’ve been my home for 69 years –
An endless time of love and change.
All I can do
Is say thank you.
I am so sorry.
Opher 13.6.2018
I do not happen to believe in Gaia – that the planet is really alive and has consciousness. At least I don’t think so. That type of mysticism is attractive but fanciful.
But I did find it an interesting poetic idea to talk to her as if she was alive.
So what is there to be said?
It seemed to me that the most important thing was to apologize for the mess we are making.
Life is so obviously the jewel in the crown. Life, in all its forms, is a marvel. Yet do we hold it sacred? No we do not. We are destroying species after species, ravaging habitats with impunity and treating life with disdain.
There is an arrogance about mankind that insists that humans are the only worthwhile life upon the planet. That is risible. All life is important. We all started from that same one miracle cell. We’ve all evolved for the same length of time. We all fit together in this remarkable jigsaw puzzle of life. Yet that is the jigsaw puzzle that we are dismantling. We are throwing away piece after piece. Soon we will lose sight of the big picture.
We need to start appreciating it.
I’m sorry Planet Earth. We’re acting like spoilt brats.
It is all so frustrating but our local villages still have some good colonies of swifts. But I still think overall numbers are down and the UK involves more travelling for the swifts.
They are noticeably down here.
Perhaps they have found some vacated spots not so far north. Perhaps…
I think they are struggling – no insect food and no nesting sites. On top of that they are hunted!