Tell us again
about the yellows and reds
of bright bursting flowers
waking up in their beds.
Tell us again
about the sound of the bees,
their bumbling and buzzing,
from flowers to breeze.
Tell us again
about sweet firefly lights,
their peek-a-boo glow
to start summer nights.
Tell us again
about swooping seagulls,
their dives and their dips
and their long, haunting calls.
Tell us again
about soft summer rains -
before the great floods
and the storms off the plains.
How did you lose them?
Where did they all go?
Will they ever return?
How could you not know?
It isn’t our fault
that our world fell apart,
so the least you could do
is help us re-start.
For we are the children:
When Earth hurts, we hurt, too.
You may not believe us -
but we hurt more than you.
Every animal lost,
every blade of grass gone,
every river gone dry,
every still, bird-less dawn,
takes our future away
and stops us from growing.
It robs us of joys
that you talk about knowing.
Please help us plant seeds.
Keep our water clean.
Please leave the air clear
and let forests be green.
We’re in this together:
plants, people, and trees,
and of course every creature -
gulls, fireflies, and bees.
This planet’s our home:
Keep it safe, keep it sound
so the nature we’ve lost
can heal and rebound.
If we tread softly,
and whisper, not scream,
never take Earth for granted
but Try, Hope, and Dream,
then maybe, just maybe,
we’ll have one more chance
to know the brave beauty
of Earth’s grateful dance.
—
Dedicated poem for the Children’s Environmental Health Network