I am the land
and the spirit of the land
and I am weeping.
My memory is long:
I recall the upheaval
and birth of mountains;
the volcanic vomit
of molten rock,
the sulphurous fumes.
I was there when
the Ice Giants marched
across my unfinished body,
scouring and shaping me.
When my woods and forests
formed, I followed the buffalo,
roamed with the wild wolf
and soared with
the birds of the air.
In mountain streams,
deep lakes and
fast-flowing rivers,
I laughed with joy
at the splash and sparkle
of salmon and trout:
my coastal waters teemed
with the creatures of the deep,
elemental, unhindered.
And my children loved me
by obeying the sacred trust--
the unity of the circle.
The circle of harmony
between land, sky and spirit--
the balance of Nature.
But those days are gone
and now I weep.
My children no longer
believe in me.
They have raped and plundered
my fertile body, poisoned
my precious breath.
Their machines tear
my flesh, rip my heart
to shreds. The sacred circle
has been broken beyond repair
and I am dying.
A contest entry
- Sacred Circle - Nature Picture prompt contest by apoeticinjustice.
600 points, ended April 1, 2008, 9 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 31 of 31
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Excellent
How very true. Someone after my own heart. Keep up the good work.
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Easy choice for gold
'Tis too sad a truth.
Well spoken.
Buddy
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This is a spectacular write, exactly what I had in mind when I seen the picture. I love how you have personified this. Excellent writing. Thanks for submitting it.
Rory
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Wow. Punched straight to the heart and pulled. Extremely powerful and touching. I feel Gaea's hurt when I read that.
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Al Gore-ist ?
Animistic but true.
The effects of Pollution and Global Warming . . .neglected.
This poem will be a better read to those who appreciate mothers' nature when the bell tolls' for her!
Free-verse but truly breath taking (literally).
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What a magnificent piece.This should serve as a wake up call to us all as we ruin this beautiful earth of ours.eloquently put, Ros
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This was so beautiful my friend.. It made my heart sad though because you are so right...
I just love this piece... Great write..
Peace to you, Jetleena
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Powerful and brilliant!
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oh god, this is absolutely brilliant. amazing write!
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This really does have the cadence and personification needed to lend Earth a powerfully saddened voice.
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Whoo Wheee! What an awesome poem for this time of living on our ol' earth - global warming and all that good stuff. How we all need to "listen" to the pain of the earth and help by doing our part! Very excellent job!
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Bill-you share my sentiments exactly. And the answer is "I" must do some things to fix it...not "we". "we" lets me off the hook. I've got to take personal responsibility for the things I do to this good Earth. Great write.
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Bill
What can I say. just a great write
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Beautiful imagery. Really brings to light again on how we are treating the earth. Very nice flowing description. Great poem!
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This is so true - and so sad.. you depicted the weeping land as it is getting destructed by man kind - a poem that gives you a lot to think about, not only this it is written beautifully as well.. the flow and the short sentences make it more graceful- keep on writing
Lonely
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ahh!! i love it
this is freaking awesome
you deliver this writing in a style of grace i have never seen this kind of work ever
this really describes what has been done to the earth over the years
look forward to reading for of youre work
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a very vivid description from a man in tune with nature and the spirit of the land. I love your words..
The circle of harmony
between land, sky and spirit--
the balance of Nature.
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This is definitely a "stop and think" poem. One that I have re-read again and again for more than one reason. The flow and imagery of the poem is outstanding; a good reason to read it over and over, but the message is so profound, and so beautifully presented, that it keeps calling me back to ponder it again. Of course, it is a perfect match for the prompt picture, but this stands on its own, even without benefit of props. I wish you the best in this contest.
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Well done, cousin! Celtic spirituality meshes with Native American spirituality in its reverence for the sacred circle of nature. Rather than earth dying, our species having broken the covenant of the circle may well perish.
Earth, in her majesty, will recover. Time will fade her scars and she will shake off memories of presumption and arrogance like a forgotten dream. Extremely evocative, Bill. Thank you.
Mac
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There was a time ...
in this old land ... and you have described all so well. Good to see this poem of yours in the spotlight!
Very nicely shared with thought! joy
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And I am dying. The summation of a monumental write. Following the poem from beginning to end, it has no flaws that I can find and the thoughts betrayed within its confines do not veer or fade into some other tangent as so many are prone to fall prey to. You chose a direction and you followed it as the path opened on your page without exception. Line by line, stanza by stanza, this story of degradation of our planet unfolds. You didn't miss a beat and deserve this piece to be a standard of writing not only of this contest. I hope and am sure you will do well with this work. RC
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Hi Bill. I thought this was a touching and emotional work right towards the end. You presented quite the poetic touch in this. Thank you for sharing it.
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This is unbelievable, now this HAS to be one of your best, i'm sure you'll agree,
. The image of the ice giants is phenomenal, and that final stanza is just incredible, the whole thing is first class,
one to be proud of, can't speak highly enough of this superbly spiritual poem.
I doff my cap,
good luck in the contest pal,
Alex.
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Your poem makes me wail like the women at the wall in Jerusalem. There is weeping and gnashing of teeth here. We have lost respect for the natural gifts God has given to us. With our superior brains and technology, our adventures through the cosmos, our vanity, and selfishness we are killing our very own sustenance.
This poem reminds me of my grandmother and her disdain for cars because of the fumes they emitted in her presence. She said she'd rather than fill the air with such disgust. She lived to be 99 years old, got around, and never set foot in a car. I thought she was odd but now I fully understand.
This work put me in direct agreement with my ancestors who lived in harmony with nature. Brilliant work. Very moving and all too real. I wish you the best in this challenge.
Much Love & Respect ♥
Renee
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LOVED IT!
Nice and easy flow. Wonderful metaphors/allegory. Totally different from what I expected. Once again, brother, you are the man. One.
Dez
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Yes, we've wrecked the planet, cannae deny it. Time to launch a rocket to Alpha Centauri. Then we can really get on with buggering up the universe. I think I'll stay here.
Nice poem.
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How compassionately written ...
and for the first time I think of MOTHER Earth as FATHER Earth! Who said a male cannot carry and share motherly love? You did it so well in this poem, Poet. You caring one ...
A very descriptive poem, with a lovely title.
Well done and good luck in the contest.
Blessed Be.
Myra
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WOW! This one took my breath away!
~Stacey~
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WOW
I loved this...so Native American. Good Luck.
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Absolutely fantastic, every word has passion and longing for the world to be whole as it once was. From the beginning of time to the present, a wonderful write my friend. Can anyone possibly come up with anything better? I doubt that very much. Extremely well done
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Nice work, Bill, very thoughtful.
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