On Earth

Capitol Reef National Park in April 2023

Last month was not the first time my husband and I had visited national parks and monuments in southern Utah. I was so enraptured by the experience, however, that it seemed as if I had never been there before. Encouraged by the response to my last post, which combined photos and poetry, I’m sharing my view of earth from Utah in that form. All pictures were taken in April 2023.

I’ll not speak of eons gone by
nor millennia to come,

I’ll not credit rain and erosion

nor cold, heat and chemistry.

Instead, I’ll give myself to this moment

as I feel the earth beneath me
and all around me too.

I’ll revel in the differences
that give the earth glory —

the towering and steep,

the round and low,

the striped, the checked, the layered,

the jagged and the flat,
in endless shades of tan, gray, and terracotta.

I’ll not recall names of those who came here before me,
nor names they bestowed on what they found.

Instead, I’ll fling my arms wide, tilt my head back,
and thank heaven for this moment on earth.

9 Comments On Earth

  1. ImoJeane

    The pictures are incredible, and I love the accompanying verse. This idea of yours of combining pictures and verse would make a great book! Go for it!! Missing “seeing” you and connecting.

    Reply
  2. Doris Sharock

    Sally, you have captured the silent beauty of these ancient landscapes. I’ve visited these magical areas and felt a peace. Your poetry is inspired.

    Reply

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