Written July 7, 2008

First she gave us the breath of life
Nursed us against her breast
Raising her children to respect their gifts
And their lives, so richly blessed
We have fed at her ample bosom for years
Generations sheltered by our Mother
Respecting the blessings of love and life
She bestows upon us ever
Over the ages, her children have changed
And, as children often do
We took for granted the gifts she gave
Discarding them angrily, wanting things new
Not satisfied with the gifts bestowed
We turned away from our Mother
Seeking out those things we believed
Would satisfy the greed and hunger
Lusting for more than our Mother gave
Her children turned their backs away
And the tears she sheds as we wound her so deep
Fall, unheeded by us as we dig our own grave
We, her children, recognize her no more
Seeking only our own gain from her strife
We strip her of her beauty and gifts
Erupting with violence, strife and privation
They fight over her gifts in an endless war
Parent against child, and nation against nation
Soiling the garb with which we were clothed
Uncaring, we are slowly taking her life

The Mother's children have turned away from her
Yet still, she tries to conceive
And bring forth the pure, true fruit of her womb
Of new children who will our Mother believe
Else, one thought we must entertain
If we do not our Mother protect
And save her from a needless tomb
How many of us will remain?