Happy Earth Day!

In honour of Earth Day today, here's a favourite poem. I love how it evokes Gaia's "motherly attitude" in a way that is not usually portrayed, but yet which is entirely truthful. I'm sure we've all experienced this particular tone of voice from our own Moms at some point or another in our lives! This poem is found in Marilyn Sewell (ed.), Cries of the Spirit: A Celebration of Women's Spirituality (Boston: Beacon Press, 1991) at pp. 245-247.

Inventing Sin

by George Ella Lyon

God signs to us

we cannot read

She shouts

we take cover

She shrugs

and trains leave

the tracks

Our schedules! we moan

Our loved ones

God is fed up

All the oceans she gave us

All the fields

All the acres of steep seedful forests

And we did what

Invented the Great Chain

of Being and

the chain saw

Invented sin

God sees us now

gorging ourselves &

starving our neighbors

starving ourselves &

storing our grain

& She says

I've had it

you cast your trash

upon the waters -- 

it's rolling in

You stuck your fine fine finger

into the mystery of life

to find death

& you did

you learned how to end

the world

in nothing flat

Now you come crying

to your mommy

Send us a miracle

Prove that you exist

Look at your hand, I say

Listen to your scared heart

Do you have to haul the tide in

sweeten the berries on the vine

I set you down

a miracle among miracles

You want more

It's your turn

You show me