Earth Prints - Earth Day
by Kathy Warnes
Footprints lead to the edge of the ocean
The tide rolls in with a long, slow motion,
Will the tide wash human footprints away?
Will they brand the beach and forever stay?
The tide washes the footprints out to sea,
Will the footprints dissolve and cease to be?
Or resurrected in plastic bob and spin,
Return to frolic when the tide comes in?
Footprints transform to deep tracks of tires,
Blackened wood smolders from party fires,
Bushes and grass grow in scanty measure,
Stunted by human party beach pleasure.
Footsteps bound for oil rigs increase speed,
Hastened by vast expectation and greed,
They don’t measure a slow and thoughtful pace,
But fly like grains of sand in a beach race.
The earth supports life for living creatures,
Cradled by land and sea and air teachers
Showing us on Earth and every day
That the best earth prints quickly fade away.
Footprints lead to the edge of the ocean,
The tide rolls in with a long, slow motion,
Earth footprints continue constant rebirth,
Connecting careful stewards of the earth.