Awakening to the Red Road: An Ecopoetic Odyssey 'Part 5 of 6'
V. "The Great Collective Awakening"
Aren't we the true definitive problem,
not just astray-
malignant corporations…
Or unresponsive governments ?
We are faulted; consumers
telling them:
demanding them:
just make more…
Disposable, Processed
yet, Cheap, and grey ?
Is it possible to hear the songs
of the meadowlarks?
We are just like street
addicts in denial,
For we, arms folded-
refuse to face the ultimate
stark truth,
until we… rudely awaken!
Oh, We let the earth be
suffocated under
thick and massive layer
of plastic,
which are thrown into hundreds
of parks.
Or are laid down in the middle
of the sea-
in margins of cities;
lay down…
your head
upon mine and weep.
Is it possible to hear the songs
of the meadowlarks?
My soul breathes out and
addresses,
the friendly trees promise to
keep us company,
all these are the messages
that nature sends forth.
We must simplify existence:
own fewer things of quality.
Alternative to mindless excess ?
awaken our ancestors' wisdom…
For they walked in nature's blessing - respecting
all things of earth.
Listen: I can hear them cry for us ...
our sacred...
our dwelling place…
our mother nature and earth.
Is it possible to hear the songs
of the meadowlarks?
I shout to you, “Reduce Plastic Use!” carry
Reusable, Recyclable Bags and
Bottles, my friend.
I plead, “Recycle Diligently!” please
support sustainable brands.
Stand and make a choice for
local and organic foods /
to lessen the
expanding footprint.
Only plant native trees -
create green spaces in urban lands.
Is it possible to hear the songs
of the meadowlarks?
Look: Lakota, they honor the sacred hoop,
A call we must heed…
Listen to the Seven Fires' teachings,
While recognizing our place, our
living space.
For in this great circle of life
Yes, where all are family that is
interconnected.
Just like spokes on a
turning wheel,
Look in the Black Hills'
ancient legacy.
We must use renewable energy sources:
solar, wind, hydro…
We must reduce energy consumption:
switch off lights, unplug devices...
We must support policies:
that truly protect the environment.
We must engage in community:
clean-up projects and conservation efforts.
Is it possible to hear the songs
of the meadowlarks?
There, you hear the low
breathing voice of
the boundless prairie, and the
great heap of the mother.
Listen closely,
We receive messages through the
ancestors who advise us.
Stop, and feel that bond…
the harmony of…
The Red Ride.
Look, a troupe of wisdom comes down from
the Ancient of Days,
infinite times.
For in the Lakota realm,
the river - is a sacred, precious -
a fully local garden and already
a sustainable organism.
The issue is to take care of,
not to exploit,
the necessity of sustenance.
Look we see the Lakota’s simplicity
lives in balance with
nature's rhythms.
Listen and tread lightly my friend. Leaving
no footprints of betrayal.
For we are only temporary guests
in this ever-verdant nest,
For we are truly blest.
Is it possible to hear the songs
of the meadowlarks?
Now it is time,
so let us translate
these ancestral songs
Into a collective awakening,
a chant of forever change…
May the wisdom of the Lakota guide us,
and, YES! The Songs of
the Meadowlarks
Forever Ring.
As they Guide us
To a Greener Dawn
Where WE can
Sing & Sing & SING.
Oh, What Can Our Legacy BE.....
Copyright ©
Daniel Henry Rodgers
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