Earth's Thin Blue Ribbon

Looking back at the Earth, I can't really describe how beautiful it is from 300 miles up. Looking down, you can tell it's a planet. The sky is black. There's just a thin blue ribbon, what we see as blue sky on Earth. You realize how small it is and how fragile the planet is. - Astronaut Mike Good I was given a wondrous gift at the time of my birth, Born into a world I lovingly call dear Mother Earth. She's beautiful but fragile and in order to keep her alive I must do all I can to protect her and help her to thrive. This gift provides me with all I need to have a good life So I must take care I don't cause her any harm or strife. She's wrapped in green tissue paper made from her trees Tied with just a thin blue ribbon that floats in the breeze. How orderly are her fields of corn and those of amber grain When I look down while flying across her central plains. Riding in an airplane, there are many other ribbons to see, Nourishing rivers that travel from her mountains to her sea. I've seen pictures of how our planet looks from up in space. While standing on the ground it seems to be an enormous place But to those men and women who fly high above the atmosphere Earth is a tiny colored bauble on black velvet that they hold dear. I look up, grateful for the protection of the thin blue ribbon sky And for this planet that is such a beautiful home for you and I. It's humbling to realize how small as individuals we really are But gain better perspective from astronauts who see it from afar.