UW Sustainability Courses

EARTH POEMS : Round 1

Standing beneath the apple trees,
Watching dewy, drowsy leaves,
As they branch out above,
Breathing in the morning breeze,
The earth crunching beneath my toes,
The vermilion orbs stretching down the rows,
Enticing me to take one taste,
Of apples wet, cold, and wild,
Solitary me, but life-filled orchard,
Joyous in its generation.

at the mall, the "sales" signs
entice my desire to shop. I feel like I can't
live without a new outfit. I breathe
in the stale air conditioning, and browse
store after store, embodying the
consumerism that consumes my generation.

tonight I sat down to study, intending to
just do my reading assignment for class,
without intending to feel or change.
I realized that my own shopping
has an impact on economics,
human rights, and earth.

I am waking up.

Life's Speed and Blur

Wind blows on and off.
Deeply inhale the air. Breathe

People and creatures stir in motion.
Calmly separate from the chaos. Breathe

Clocks entice the population to be driven by schedules.
Peacefully relax and ponder your place and purpose on earth. Breathe

Life is lived by and for the present.
Slightly slow down the next generation. Just breathe.

The old man struggled in his bed
A generation had passed since his birth
And with that birth, entrance into a long, worn life
If I were to breathe again for the first time, he mused
Would I live a life on this earth unrecognizable even to me?
Perhaps, he answered, moving the covers that would soon entice him to sleep
To sleep and to breathe no more

A Generation of Mudsliders

The rain falls all afternoon on Saturday
And the muddy earth entices our spirits.
My friends and I want to live
This wet day to the fullest.
We put on old tee shirts and shorts
And run out in the rain to play.
We slide in the mud, and breathe in
The simple joy of being free.

Live

To live is to learn
When you learn you achieve
When you learn you fail
To achieve and to fail is to learn
To learn is to live

I entice you…
Live with me…
Breathe with me
As generations before have done
I am Earth

I Never Think

I never think about my breath
Except now ‘cause I’m writing a poem
But it keeps me alive, so maybe I’ll try
To think of it once in a while

I never think about the Earth
Except now ‘cause I’m writing a poem
But it keeps me from fallin’, so it’s be appalin’
Not to think of it once in a while

I never think of future generations
Except now ‘cause I’m writing a poem
But they…
Well, they won’t do much for me

So why should I clean or plant a tree
For some future guy I don’t know?
This isn’t the time of heaven and hell
I won’t have to reap what I sow

I never think about my heart
Except now that the poem’s near spent
We can’t rely on conscience
To save the environment.

Flower Pot Ostriches

Cigarette butts suspended in dry earth
Discarded after the last clouded breath

Buoyant sunflowers her could live
As the last generation of flower pot dwellers did

Instead, disfigured corporate corpses remain
Hoping to entice the smokers to puff again

One dandelion amongst rocks and cigarette butts
A beautiful yellow surprise within a sea of forgotten discards
It sways and bends as it breathes in the passing gentle wind
It entices me to touch its delicate petals and remember
There is earth below the city
And new generations of dandelions to sprout through the
cracks of forgotten sidewalks

Curious Child of Mine

Mommy
My four year-old kneads wet sand with her toes
What was the earth like when you were little?
Sigh
How to simply state the ambiguously complex
Do I tell her just a generation ago juice boxes were disposable
Everyone mommy knew drove cars
Young minds need optimism
Humanity was enticed to change
But only when nearly every little boy, little girl was sick
Because the earth itself was very sick
She can live and breathe today because there was a
Revolution.

I look at her corn silk hare and fleshy
Pink arms.

Baby, big people learned they have to share,
Just like you share your toys
We learned to share with
Birds and turtles and fishies

My sweet girl thinks with her chin tucked in,
Brushing purposely against a small, sandy
Shoulder.
I wonder if she understands and I
Search
For a better explanation.

Raised almond eyes question
Mommy
We have to share with all animals
Right?
Yes.
All animals and bugs and trees and flowers…
Everything.

Well then can I share my bed
With Mr. Phibbs?
I smile,
Thinking of tucking her in with our docile,
Slobbering, chocolate lab.

White caps contrast with azure sea
Why not?
Instead I say
Ask dad.