Mother Earth’s Calling – Can You Hear Her Now?
Mother Earth’s Calling
It comes softly to my ears as I doze on my camp cot,
The sounds of Nature so beguiling and pleasant,
Mesmerizing and relaxes me quickly inside my tent.
Every few minutes an owl asks Who goes there?
As a gentle breeze whispers in the pines.
A chorus of joy from the frogs and crickets
Suddenly is silent when a forest critter
Steps on a twig that loudly cracks.
In the space of silence I hear another sound,
It is the whisper in the pines, a voice so dear.
A voice that is weakened from fear and sorrow.
I listen intently and try to pick up words,
Words of pleading for the morrow.
I realize it is Mother Earth’s calling to humanity.
One word clearly I hear, Disappearing, then a sigh.
I fall asleep, sad thoughts whirling in my head.
I dream of the forest and swamp of my childhood,
Where my siblings and I once explored wilderness.
It is gone now, a huge shopping mall displaced it.
I remember all the trees that made our neighborhood
So lovely, gave us shade in hot summers
And beauty in autumn each year, even in winter
The snows outlined branches, giving us the beauty
Of winter scenes, and lent their branches to red ribbon bows.
In my dreams I see the wild horses running free
Across the valley where I now live in Nevada.
They have been pushed back out of their open lands
By the need for new freeways and office complexes.
The herds of deer we used to love to go find are gone.
We used to laugh, for at first we could not see them
In the fields of tall grasses and shrub, then we
Looked harder and saw their large ears poking up.
The cougar I used to hear call out his scream at night
To let us all know he was there on the little mountain.
I kept my window open just enough to hear his call
Which was so hauntingly beautiful, yet frightening.
He was pushed back to mountains in the distance
When large apartment complexes and new streets
Took over his wild roaming territory,
No longer do we hear or see that wild and free animal.
I awoke in the early morning, before the sun was up.
Mother Earth was still whispering in the pines.
Do you hear me now, she cries, too much is gone
And more is disappearing from Nature.
Too much of the animal and plant life is vanishing.
Harmony and balance is not seen with humanity
As it was in many places with Nature.
There is still time for humans to halt the damage.
Mother Earth’s Calling – can you hear Her now?
~~~
In the photo above you can see a net fencing in the background. That is a pretty strong indication that the wild horses are running because a BLM helicopter is herding them into a compound. From there the horses are sold. Some private families adopt horses. Most of the horses are purchased by a buyer who sells them to slaughter houses in Mexico.
© 2016 Phyllis Doyle Burns
I have always liked to write.It is important to me that writing comes from my heart and soul. When writing poetry, if I do not feel a spiritual connection to what I am writing on, I will discard it and go on to something I can connect with on a spiritual level. I live in the moment, I write from the past or beyond the veil. When writing fiction I go with whatever inspires me at the moment - it could be funny, sorrowful, romantic or sometimes done with the use of colloquial language from mountain folk or other cultural regions.
I began writing content online in 2007, starting with BellaOnline - A Voice For Women, where I was the Native American Editor, Folklore & Mythology Editor, and the Appalachian Editor. I also wrote articles forThe Examiner, Daily Two Cents, and Yahoo. I am currently an author on HubPages.
Most of what I write takes a lot of research and I love it. Even if it is a fictional story, I will research for accuracy in whatever it takes to make my characters, their era, their location, etc. become realistic to the reader.
I hope you enjoy my works. Thank you for visiting.
- Ode to Voices in Desert Sands - August 14, 2023
- My Secluded Mountain Forest Nook - July 24, 2023
- My Cozy Log Cabin in the Woods - July 22, 2023
We have much to learn about life and our disrespect of nature and other life will cost us dearly. A strong message penned so well to inspire and remind us what we are given in life, and what we should be nurturing not harvesting. Well done Phyllis.
Thank you, Tony. Just a year ago we watched the deer in a field and a herd of horses not far away. It is sad to know they are gone. I so appreciate your constant support, Tony. You comment on all posts and with sincerity, that is so nice. Thanks again.
Your poetic message comes through loud and clear. Hope that all ears will begin to hear before it is too late.
Oh! Thank you so much, Rasma. I have faith there is still time for us to make a change.