Earth Etude for Elul 10 — Earth Mother

by Carol C. Reiman

~ She holds us

in her arms,

charms us

with star sparkle

eyes,

lilac

breath,

song of rippling water

over stone.

She tells us our story,

from deep

in the loam of her heart,

fed by

rains and heat,

warmth, cold,

into the family

of breezes, currents, creatures—

those like us

and not.

Movement in spurts,

and slow,

creeping, climbing, sliding,

changing skins and gestures,

while we grow

along with our

earth siblings, cousins,

at pause and in dance,

flowing

in mutual vibration.

We play, shift our balance,

lose our grasp of the limb,

leap out

from our source

to find the rest

of the forest.

We regain our purchase,

find a companion,

laugh.

Fumbling, with stumbles,

growth rings, peeling bark.

Sifting tides

reveal

fresh treasures

along the edges.

Stop.

See what is around you,

what she holds along with you.

The soft moss, the mountain crag,

the courting bird.

The places dried with ash,

streams blocked by toxins,

the parched land,

the hungry child,

the thirsty soul.

Clear the trash,

sustain the ocean depths,

feed the child,

calm the fellow soul.

The earth’s arms are wide,

and it is yours to share

inside more love

somehow somewhere.

Raise your voice, shout, cry,

sway and shimmy,

wiggle to her rhythms,

know your joy in her.

Show your love

of what begat,

bore and nurtured you,

will take you home.

Touch her scars gently,

wash away her tears.

Hear her heartache,

as she bears yours.

You are not separate—

cannot be—

you are woven together.

As she goes, so do you,

if only in

different

spirals.

Cherish

your time together,

you and your

good earth.

Carol Reiman is retired from library work in four states, with ties to several religious organizations.  She does pet sitting and dabbles in a range of things from Sanskrit to dance. She enjoys exploring connections with people and non-human animals.

---