In Praise of the EarthBy John O'Donohue(1954 - 2008)
Let us blessThe imagination of the Earth,That knew early the patienceTo harness the mind of time,Waited for the seas to warm,Ready to welcome the emergenceOf things dreaming of voyagingAmong the stillness of land.And how light knew to nurseThe growth until the face of the EarthBrightened beneath a vision of color.When the ages of ice cameAnd sealed the Earth insideAn endless coma of cold,The heart of the Earth held hope,Storing fragments of memory,Ready for the return of the sun.Let us thank the EarthThat offers ground for homeAnd hold our feet firmTo walk in space openTo infinite galaxies.Let us salute the silenceAnd certainty of mountains:Their sublime stillness,Their dream-filled hearts.The wonder of a gardenTrusting the first warmth of springUntil its black infinity of cellsBecomes charged with dream;Then the silent, slow nurtureOf the seed's self, coaxing itTo trust the act of death.The humility of the EarthThat transfigures allThat has fallenOf outlived growth.The kindness of the Earth,Opening to receiveOur worn formsInto the final stillness.Let us ask forgiveness of the EarthFor all our sins against her:For our violence and poisoningsOf her beauty.Let us remember within usThe ancient clay,Holding the memory of seasons,The passion of the wind,The fluency of water,The warmth of fire,The quiver-touch of the sunAnd shadowed sureness of the moon.That we may awaken,To live to the fullThe dream of the EarthWho chose us to emergeAnd incarnate its hidden nightIn mind, spirit, and light.