And this earth hurts more today

And this land hurts more today

And this eruption of chaos 

/of undulating pain/

is louder today.

 

And I want to caress the bruised cheeks of the planet,

sweep into caverns of fire with sweet-honey rain— 

spilling blessings for scorched land,

ashes anointing each death as silica 

luminously charred in 

wood soot sand 

 

We will 

replant resoil regrow

 

(She cries for us: 

waters—engorged, contracting

oceans drumming,

!thrumming!

reminding us to listen to Her,

Our Mother)

 

And we grasp the roses in our palms

And we lay them on this barren ground for

new seed, for Her

new birth 

 

©Rebecca Cavender