Recently, I was listening to the song Dream Catch Me, by Newton Faulkner and it reminded me of my many trips to Australia.  I love how songs can transport you back to different places you have visited and times in your life.  The lyrics of this song ignited inspiration in me, to write.  It’s been a long time since I have written anything.  A passion of mine is writing poetry and short stories.  As for the blog, sorry everyone, that I haven’t made any recent posts until now.  I guess it’s best to write when you are inspired and can produce quality writing.  Writing that I hope will inspire.

Some years ago I was humbled, when a poem I wrote was featured in a local news paper for Earth Day.  I’d like to believe that when writing or producing art in any form, it is not just for the sake of creating art, but to inspire and make a positive difference in the world.

Art is an incredible gift and absolutely fascinating.  I think of some of my favorite writers, whether they wrote songs, poems, novels, plays or even film scripts, all of them inspire and encourage me to write.  Their work has made a positive impact on me, and I hope that  my writing is able to do that for someone.  Lately, I have been thinking, when it comes to writing I can’t just write about what matters to me, it has to be more than that…   It needs to be writing that will inspire and encourage positive thinking and discussions.  That is what I would like to strive towards.  Essentially, writing that is meaningful and moving.  Over time, I hope to achieve that kind of quality writing.  Right now, my writing is still just a work in progress.

My hope is that this poem I wrote many years  ago about the environment will be not only an inspiration to those who read it, but to encourage people to really evaluate the state of the environment.  I hope you enjoy reading it.

This is actually the extended version. The version originally published in a local newspaper was edited and subsequently shorter.

-Honor Thy Mother-

Honor thy Mother

You’ve been told

Drops of joy

Showered down

Until,

Her cry wept

Despair.

Acidic bitterness.

Letting us know we pain her

An ocean

She gave us

To lavish in

Coral gardens to flourish

Lit up spectacularly at night

But our oversized toy boats

Dredged their clenching anchors in!

Knocking to and fro

The color out of life that beams there

Mangroves

Draw the line

Between her hurricane rants

And us

But we figure we can withstand

Her moody weather

So we erase the line

We don’t like it

When she throws our stuff about

Damages what is precious to us

Kicks our Lego

Back to the blueprints

Green pastures

We had in our grasp

An abundance of Peridot giant caretakers

But we cut and burned them

To the ground

Making space for our empire

Of manufactured stones

Soon we won’t be able to breathe

We’re blocking ourselves in!

Pretty animals

She gave to roam with us

Wild and free

Was the playground rule

But we decided to change

The roll of the dice

Playing dress up in coats

That has stripes of pride

Or flaunting feathery crowns

Our reflection does not look pretty

In an honest mirror

Toting around ivory keepsakes

That weren’t meant for us

But we took them anyway

Animal friends are becoming rare

Or locked up in play pens

Protégés of Flipper and Keiko

Held hostage in swimming pools

Demanded

To perform as water ballet puppets

Even the lullaby song is quieting down

Making our bed

With ignorance

In our mothers house

Taking advantage of her

Adding unnecessary ingredients

To her made-with-love meals

Behaving however we please

Treating our Mother Earth

Coldly with Disrespect

Her patience is melting down

Brewing a wrath

That will scorch us

Brand on us

With no mercy and no forgiveness

Because sorry soon just won’t cut it

For being oblivious

To the one thing we were told

Taught to learn

Honor thy mother

Copyright © 2013 By Laura Butz

All rights reserved.  Permission Requests please email ecochiccayman@hotmail.com 

Original publication http://www.compasscayman.com/caycompass/2010/04/23/Honour-thy-Mother/ 

P.S.  With love from one tree hugger to another xo