Our Nature

by Michaela McCormick USA

Ticket office to a garden?
Six bucks and it's all yours.
The delicate, vibrant blossoms,
the imported trees,
the swarm of golden carp,
and more –
until closing time.
Someone has done their best
to preserve and showcase
these treasures of nature.
Walking the line between
staking a claim
and offering a gift.
In this world of grasping, owning,
it is a workable generosity,
a precious gem of flesh and fiber,
reminding us
that we are not apart.

This earth, this land, is our land,
not to own and use up,
like a strip mine, a clearcut forest, or a shale oil field.
Not to manipulate for our comfort,
and turn away from the needless suffering
in the wake of our gluttony.
But to cherish
as the ground of our being,
to see in it,
in everything that touches our senses,
our true nature.

When we make a mess of our land, our world,
it can show us that the difference
between right and wrong is pain.
We can pay attention,
relax and let our minds flow.
We can know that all that we see and feel
is the power of mind and the wisdom of our bodies –
inseparable union that is full of caring.
With patience, gentleness, and generosity,
we can act in harmony with nature –
our nature.