Happy Earth Day. We want to share this day with you by offering some poetry written and sung by Zoë García.
Zoë shares:
“While growing up in the Bay Area, I was very grateful to have had a childhood filled with a vast variety of natural wonders. That I Was Awake was inspired by the feeling many of us in the Bay Area know far too well: the feeling of an earthquake in the middle of the night. This piece reflects on the significant, yet puzzling moment where we are unsure of whether we should feel fearful or in awe: that we felt the Earth in motion beneath us. Each of these vignettes call us to listen to what seemingly insignificant moments can teach us. I invite each us of to hold onto the beauty of the Earth, hold onto wonder, and hold onto one another. Use that inspiration as momentum in the fight for climate justice.”
Enter each day
between sunset and sunrise.
That I was awake, listening.
Taste the briny air,
hung round with silver.
That I was awake, listening.
In the lull of the night, feel the Earth move.
Pulling on your heart, as the moon pulls the sea.
That I was awake, listening.
Aloofness in your limbs.
You wonder,
whether to seek refuge, within yourself,
or extend in awe?
That I was awake, listening.
Feel the sharp, sting, of sea salt,
A balm, healing hidden wounds.
That I was awake, listening.
Cupping pink seashells to our ears.
That I was awake, listening.
Sing to the emptiness of the night
like the bullfrog who believes,
in love.
That I was awake, listening.
Wrap your arms around centuries,
resilient Redwoods,
who have seen the world before me,
and will remain long after.
Hold on to the Earth, hold onto me.
That we were awake, listening.
Words: Zoë García
Music: Will Rand
Video Production: Tom Rand, Viveka Hall-Holt, Campbell United Methodist Church
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