A Song-Poem for Earth Day

A day late but not out of date

Window etching. Lyndon House Art Center, Athens, GA. Photo by Noel Holston

This Island Earth

The planets and the stars

Will not be ours

Except, of course, to dream on

For all our Star Trek fantasies

This island Earth will be our home

The planets and the stars

Will not be ours

Except, of course, to wish on

Accept the sure reality

This fragile Earth’s our only home

We’re wrecked the land

We’ve fouled the air, the lakes, the rivers

Clear cut the trees, it’s such a crime

We cannot fly away and buy new worlds to conquer

We have to clean up what we can while there’s still time

Take it back, oh, take it back

Take back the Earth and let it breathe

Take it back, oh, take it back

Take back the Earth and let it breathe

We’re the ones to blame

Now we’ve got to reclaim it

Take back the Earth and let it breathe