Worth of the World
By Lindsay Otero
Folded on the mossy carpet of the forest, I sense the lichens beneath my bare palms vibrating with life.
My hearty kinfolk inhabiting the bodies of songbirds rejoice in musical blather.
A blue heron moves gracefully over the creek, wading across her crystalline home with pride.
The night renews once again over the green mountains, and I understand why I am here.
To bike in the blistering heat with gulls overhead, laughing until I reach the ocean,
To eat homemade fruit and pound cake kabobs at the Iris Gardens picnic table,
And hike the Grand Canyon and Mohonk Mountain in the chilly wintertime.
This world pumps love and energy into every being.
The sun warms the earth, extending growth and abundant creation of life across seasons.
Flowers munch on the sugary rays as they unfold from a deep slumber in the early springtime.
Squirrels scurry upon the branches of towering trees.
Spiders and ants meander into the crevices of grandfather logs.
To know I am one with these beautiful beings allows me to feel at peace.
Every breath of fresh air gifts me a new reason to be.
I savor in the present moment, taking in every sense this generous world allows me to feel.
Earth wraps me in her brisk, sweet winds,
Tracing my cheeks lovingly with crisp air,
She wisps my brown curls into the breeze
As I leap with my favorite people off of boulders, our bodies cascading into Lake Champlain.
Lightheaded with whimsy and love, she smiles down at me, lover of all beings,
At you, a vibrant cranberry soul;
At us, beautiful outlines of boisterous luminescence;
Drowsy with her infinite epochs of wisdom and selflessness.
From Eagle Rock Reservation,
To Forsythe National Wildlife Reserve,
Held out are firm, protective hands over the Earth's lands,
Guarding the rich biodiversity that inhabits them,
My truest friends.
The commons are not a tragedy, but a gift.
A wondrous and awe-inspiring world I feel ever so lucky to live in reciprocity with.
Our Earth is not a resource to exploit,
But a terrestrial and marine body pulsating with life,
Asking to be cared for in her old age.
While there are still plants bursting through waves of photosynthetic joy,
Manatees gliding through salty seas,
Tigers moving stealthily across the savannah,
Dung beetles, mosquitos, mole rats, and prokaryotes,
Humans walking in parks, laughing over their lunches, and working to house their loved ones,
There is a world worth saving. H
Art by Luke Hoyes
