The Beauty of Earth

The beauty of the earth is abounding
Alive with awe-inspiring sounds
The trees whistling in the wind
We snap their bark, mince their wood, but we will never ascend them
Trees whisper through their roots
From our speedy, eager ways they uproot
With grace and without haste, they age
Adorned in ever-changing and elegant branches
Ever the receptive beings, they live simply
And they absorb light as they do ideas
The birds chirping
More than noise, they sing beautiful melodies 
Calling out to one another,
They speak as brothers
As evolved beings from the same beginning
Every sentient being has worth
And arises from the same earth
In it, we can sense the connection
Feel the sweet affection
Within all of these species
They hold care and empathy
Learned and passed down,
Love is not our own but is something from beyond
An inherited trait 
That also enfolds us in a cocoon of hate
A dark duality
And in the paradox, everything touches us deeply
Every sound vibrates our bodies
Each ocean wave rushes in tranquility
Outsides crumble
But each being’s meaning endures
Energy is neither destroyed nor created
It only develops

Strike Out,

Writer: Katie Delk

Photographer: Johann Vazquez

Gainesville