In 1995, when Michael Jackson released “Earth Song” it evolved into a short film that features stark footage of Michael and native people around the world witnessing acts of natural devastation. At the beginning of this week, we celebrated Earth Day. No longer can we simply talk about how horrific conditions in nature and our environment are declining at record numbers, but we have to put up or shut up.
I featured this song previously on this blog, and it is worthy to be repeated. Today, I don’t want you to comment but if you have or have not heard this prophetic call to action, listen to it again. Absorb the words. Parts of the video can be disturbing but show a realism that we cannot turn away from. Open your heart and open your mind. The lyrics to the song follow the video.
Earth Song
Song and Lyrics by Michael Jackson
What about sunrise? What about rain? What about all the things That you said we were to gain?
What about killing fields? Is there a time? What about all the things That you said was yours and mine?
Did you ever stop to notice All the blood we’ve shed before? Did you ever stop to notice This crying Earth, these weeping shores?
Hey, what about yesterday? (What about us?) What about the seas? (What about us?) The heavens are falling down (What about us?) I can’t even breathe (What about us?)
What about apathy? (What about us?) I need you (What about us?) What about nature’s worth? (Ooh) It’s our planet’s womb (What about us?)
What about animals? (What about it?) We’ve turned kingdoms to dust (What about us?) What about elephants? (What about us?) Have we lost their trust (What about us?)
What about crying whales? (What about us?) We’re ravaging the seas (What about us?) What about forest trails? (Ooh) Burnt despite our pleas (What about us?)
What about the holy land? (What about it?) Torn apart by creed (What about us?) What about the common man? (What about us?) Can’t we set him free (What about us?)
What about children dying? (What about us?) Can’t you hear them cry? (What about us?) Where did we go wrong? (Ooh) Someone tell me why (What about us?)
What about baby boy? (What about it?) What about the days? (What about us?) What about all their joy? (What about us?) What about the man? (What about us?)
What about the crying man? (What about us?) What about Abraham? (What about us?) What about death again? (Ooh) Do we give a damn?
You know my friends, when you are bestowed the honor of having your work highlighted in a very special way, you relish in the essence of sheer humility and pure joy. We celebrated Earth Day this week and so many of us shared our passion and commitment to be the caretakers of Mother Earth (the only planet we have) and not squander our resources by allowing her to continue to fall victim to negligence. So it is with great pleasure that I share a heartwarming review from author Rosaliene Bacchus (Three Worlds One Vision~ Guyana – Brazil – USA) in her Poetry Corner April 2024.
Thank you a million times over Rosaliene for including me in this feature. After reading your beautifully orchestrated words, I had to question, is that really me? You should have been a publicist, my dear friend. Be sure to check out Rosaliene’s site and immerse yourself in worldwide storytelling communications that touch the pulse of who we are in this world we inhabit together. But seriously, I am verklempt by this honor and how the poetry of Rosaliene’s words brought me to joyful tears. I am truly grateful.
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“Earth Crisis” – Poem by African American Poet Kym Gordon Moore
My Poetry Corner April 2024 features the poem “Earth Crisis” from the poetry collection We Are Poetry: Lessons I Didn’t Learn in a Textbook (USA, 2022) by Kym Gordon Moore, an African American poet and marketing communications professional. The following excerpts of poems are all sourced from this collection.
Moore earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and a Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Marketing. Born and raised in South Carolina, she now lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.
With over four decades as a writer and public speaker in marketing communications, Moore has become an advocate of using poetry in the fight against illiteracy and aliteracy among children and adults. She also mentors young and aspiring poets by identifying commonalities in their personal stories while exposing them to diverse opportunities that transform their experiences into creative development.
Moore’s latest book is not your regular collection of poetry. As noted on the back cover: “This book contains several components that serve as an academic complement giving creative insight into the poetry revolutionary movement. It functions as a dialogue engineer, designed to build and employ the application of poetry in the fight against illiteracy, functional illiteracy, aliteracy, and disparity.”
In the nine-stanza title poem, “We Are Poetry,” the poet draws attention to our shared human experiences and lessons learned that we bring to poetry. The excerpt below includes the first and seventh stanzas (p. 237):
We are children of the universe not an invisible species caretakers of creation, freedom seekers, and justice makers bridge builders not wall squads, converging on the path of love compassion emerging from our hearts like a phoenix rising
[…]
we are poetry, an opulent rainbow of luminous tribes melding in an earthly crockpot of multifaceted cultures mighty voices standing up for the marginalized and oppressed dousing the firestorm of hatred and infected sores of bigotry
The final three-stanza poem in the collection, “Let There Be Peace,” is a call for a peacethat surpasses all understanding (p. 277):
We echo, let there be peace on earth we pray for an end to conflict and wars emotionally charged anger and bitterness like a ferocious animal where bloodshed roars
The featured nine-stanza poem, “Earth Crisis,” is my selection for Earth Day 2024 celebrated on Monday, April 22nd. Manifestations of our planetary crisis, covered in the poem, are stark: environmental degradation, intense storms, climate change, deforestation, rising sea levels, melting polar ice caps, floods, scorching wildfires, and industrial waste. Yet, we continue to go about our lives as though all is well. We’ve got this. Technology will make all things right again, we tell ourselves.
I would be honored if you clicked below to read more!
A couple of weeks ago we were so enamored by the solar eclipse that occurred and is predicted to occur over America, projected August 23, 2044. This totality is expected to occur in Europe in 2026. But can you imagine if people, the citizens of this world had the same type of excitement and admiration every day for embracing and protecting Mother Earth?
Earth Day reminds us to honor and celebrate ‘our’ planet through the importance of environmental conservation and sustainability, encouraging us to come together and take action for a healthier planet and brighter future. Today, as millions of people worldwide are celebrating Earth Day, my opinion piece about this day will not come from a scientific angle but a spiritual thought.
While my mind is perplexed about climate change deniers, I think many of us, especially poets who garner much of our inspiration from nature, know otherwise. We see the changes occurring. I love the amazing world of our universe, and our home galaxy, the Milky Way. I am blown away that there are between 100 and 200 billion galaxies in the observable universe, and between 800 billion and 3.2 trillion planets.
Planet Earth is like a huge house with many family members inhabiting its space. What affects many, who many don’t think will affect them, actually does. But when I think about the effects and after-effects of such things as war (the bombings, the mass destruction, the chemical warfare), air pollution (creating the increase in chronic health issues, water, and air quality), littering (air, sea, and land creating dangerous scenarios for marine life and soil contamination), and deforestation (causing homelessness and migratory displacement for wildlife, as well as, over-population problems for many towns and cities), the cause and effect is alarming and mindblowing.
Image Credit: Mohamed_hassan
On the spiritual side, however, I think about those who want citizenship on the moon, mars, or in outer space. I applaud their curiosity to understand the worlds beyond, but exploration is one thing and habitation is another. While I am intrigued with the art and science of what’s beyond our planetary borders, if we can’t take care of the planet God designed for us to live in, and we are careless and wreckless with how we take care of Mother Earth, then what makes us think that we can be successful living beyond our planetary border so intrusively? “To much is given, much is required,” but somehow so many are looking past or ignoring the requirements of what we have been given while seeking more, more, more without any thought of compassion or empathy. If we don’t take care of what we already have, how do we expect to acquire more?
Without changing our patterns of behavior, the domino effect with be catastrophic. Seasons seem to be confused about their appointed time. Many of our trees that typically begin producing buds in March or April, began budding in late January or early February. Butterflies and bumble bees started showing up weeks ago. While the earth and universe have their natural course of life and evolution, humans have also contributed to the pains and unusual behavior nature is experiencing these days due to years of abuse and neglect.
If we continue to ignore the needs of Mother Earth, it is with certainty that Mother Earth will stop meeting ours. For more information about the Earth Day initiatives, click here.
INVEST IN OUR PLANET is the 2023 theme for today’s Earth Day celebration. Let’s continue to make a commitment every day to amplify our climate and environmental literacy with care. Don’t think one person can’t make a difference. That is an error of thinking. Can you imagine if each person everywhere does a little something to show they love and care about the health and wellness of Mother Earth, then she would show her love in return?
To thee dear Mother Earth, what have we done from the galaxy to the mountains to the ocean to the sun as you become weaker from our reckless neglect not being loving caretakers as we should, not giving you respect?
We have taken you for granted, no give, just take it’s hard to stay alive when your life is at stake from litter to toxic waste, and everyday abuse what we’ve done to you dear Mother is simply no excuse.
You can’t continue to give us if we don’t invest in you so much we’ve ignored, but so much more we can do now, dear Mother Earth, your future is in our hands this environmental movement is where life for all stands.
Join the world’s largest environmental movement today. Earth Day is observed annually on April 22, yet we should make every day Earth Day! The Earth Day 2022 Theme is “Invest In Our Planet.” Don’t have a clue where to begin? Well, look no farther. Just click on this link for 52 actions and tips to make a difference, every day of the year.
Image Credit: Linnaea Mallette
Each one of us can do something and you don’t need money to do so. We simply need to have the desire because the opportunity is right in front of our faces. #InvestInOurPlanet on #EarthDay and stamp this theme on our hearts, in our minds, and through our daily actions, regardless of the season.
Today is Earth Day. This annual commemoration is celebrated on April 22 to include a wide range of events to demonstrate our support for environmental protection. This year’s theme, coordinated globally byEarthDay.orgis#RestoreOurEarth. The network includes 1 billion people in more than 193 countries.
Now, while I am all in for such an initiative, I am distressed that such a life-saving, life-changing day like today is only highlighted on a global scale annually. Why aren’t we being proactive to decrease unnecessary deforestation, littering, and the dumping of toxic waste in our soil and waterways every day? Where is the fight from every single human on this planet to protect and preserve our precious ecosystems and natural resources exhibited daily? Why are so many reckless and careless people insisting on abusing, destroying, and disrespecting the very planet that helps them to survive?
We were created to be the caretakers of Mother Earth, the smart species so to speak. But we have failed our environment time and time again by abusing and bullying her, instead of compassionately protecting her.
On Thursday, April 22, we will observe Earth Day. This totally boggles my mind because I believe that we should not just proclaim a particular day throughout 365 days a year to focus on the health and well-being of the earth. This should be a focus throughout our everyday life by protecting and preserving Mother Earth.
As I was reading a recent issue of AARP Magazine, I had to cut out this suggestion on what to do with those old records and tapes you want to responsibly get rid of and recycle. For the life of me, I have no idea what happened to my 8-track tapes. LOL 😁 They were the thing for portable recorded music during my high school years in the 70s. Yet every other medium I have has been updated since those disco days! I found this information listed below quite helpful, and I wanted to share it with you (just in case you do not subscribe to AARP Magazine 😆) if you’re looking for sources about recycling or reselling your priceless music collections.
Today we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day. This year’s theme is “Climate Action.”
The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, is credited with launching the modern environmental movement and is now recognized as the planet’s largest civic event. Earth Day led to the passage of landmark environmental laws in the United States, including the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts.
Image Credit: Reason Magazine
Clickhereto find out more about what you can do to bring greater awareness to Earth Day. It’s time for citizens to call for greater global ambition to tackle our climate crisis. It’s time to stop talking and begin upping the ante to save our planet, so we can protect our future. This is a fight for our health, wellness and saving all of God’s creation. Thank you to everyone fighting for environmental awareness, and for your responsible practices to save and improve nature’s ecosystems.
Change…we are in this together…we share one planet no matter what corner of it we inhabit, no matter our religion, race, creed, culture, political affiliation or socioeconomic status. If one perishes due to constant neglect, polluting, and abuse to our environment, we all perish. What’s someone else’s problem today can quickly become our problem on a much more massive scale tomorrow. Just sayin’.
Touch her, listen to her, watch her, enjoy her, and taste the fruits of her goodness. Today we celebrate Earth Day, but the message of what this day represents must be activated every single day. We, the caretakers of creation are not collectively doing the best possible job to make sure this planet is protected and cared for as it should be. Are we annihilating our very existence by neglecting and destroying that which sustains us?
The Earth Day Network, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization is the world’s largest recruiter to the environmental movement, working with more than 75,000 partners in nearly 192 countries to build environmental democracy. The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement.
This year’s theme for Earth Day is “Protect Our Species.” As we celebrate this initiative let’s be mindful of the endangerment airborne and waterborne pollution poses, along with littering, dumping poisonous toxins in our soil, and now the growing danger of climate change has on our overall health.
Be sure to click here and check out some of the many campaigns the Earth Day Network works on year-round that support environmental conservation, environmental protection, climate activism and advocacy, and advancing the green economy.
If you don’t protect her, she won’t protect you. It’s just that simple. Today is the observance of Earth Dayand while our calendars denote that this day is designated to serve as a reminder about the importance of respecting our planet, conserving energy and being the caretakers of creation we were meant to be, protecting Mother Earth should naturally be an individual, committed and personalized mantra each of us should be cognizant of employing every day.
The toxicity of air pollution, water pollution, and soil pollution are indicators of our carelessness and recklessness that diminish the quality of life Mother Earth produces. Do we realize how intimately our lives are affected by the health and wellbeing of this universe we inhabit? What has happened to our compassion, sensitivity, and appreciation for our beautiful planet that is being destroyed, simply because we have neglected her or failed to see and protect the beauty that abounds all around us?
As I stepped outside this morning to admire the new blossoms and buds on my rose bush, I saw the brilliance of a little red ladybug sitting on one of the leaves and watched her enjoy my rose bush just as much as I did, even if our reasons were different. You don’t have to take on a mass environmental project, but you could do what you can in your neck of the woods, or city, to contribute to the preservation and growth of this planet. Earth Day. Do we really need a day to remind us of something we should be incorporating into our level of consciousness every day? Hmmmm… Just a thought.
From Behind the Pen 