The Earth is our Mother
Artist: Bruce Harman
The Earth is my Mother.
I shall not want.
Her hand brings forth the green pastures.
She tarries within the still waters.
She leads me in fields of fruitfulness of her Glory.
Yea, as I walk through the summer of life unto death, I will not be afraid, for She is with me.
Her womb in the earth will enfold me.
She prepares a harvest for my table and blesses my home with children.
She fills me with milk and honey.
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and beauty will nurture me all the days of my life, and I will become part of the earth forever.
We return thanks to our mother, the earth,
which sustains us.
We return thanks to the rivers and streams,
which supply us with water.
We return our thanks to all herbs,
which furnish medicines for the cure of our diseases.
We return thanks to the corn, and to her sisters,
the beans and squashes,
which give us life.
We return thanks to the wind,
which, moving the air
has banished diseases.
We return thanks to the moon and stars,
which have given to us their light when the sun was gone.
We return thanks to the sun,
that he has looked upon the earth with a beneficent eye.
Lastly we return thanks to the Great Spirit,
in whom is embodied all goodness,
and who directs all things for the good of his children.
- Iroquois prayer (adapted)
And when we no longer walk the circle of life maybe
other life will still feed on our skeleton remains
and know that in our struggle
those tears that we dropped into the oceans and
those echoes we left on the mountaints and
those footprints that fade on the paths,
someone has acknowledged our creation
and thanked us for still following our ways.
The Traditional ways, the spiritual ways, the earth ways,
the ways our ancestors in humilty and gratefulness
sought to honour the sacredness of the
Earth Mother for it is She who gives birth
and it is her breasts which give us life
and we are taking care of her, because we care.
The Ten Commandments of Mother Earth
Thou shalt love and honour the Earth for it
blesses thy life and governs thy survivial.
Thou shalt keep each day sacred to the Earth
and celebrate the turning of her seasons.
Thou shalt not hold thyself above other living
things nor drive them to extinction.
Thou shalt give thanks for thy food, to the
creatures and plants that nourish thee.
Thou shalt educate thy offspring for multitudes of people
are a blessing unto the Earth when we live in harmony.
Thou shalt not kill, nor waste Earth's
riches upon weapons of war.
Thou shalt not pursue profit at the Earth's expense
but strive to restore her damaged majesty.
Thou shalt not hide from thyself or others the
consequences of thy actions upon the Earth.
Thou shalt not steal from future generations
by impoverishing or poisoning the Earth.
Thou shalt consume material goods in moderation
so all may share the Earth's bounty.
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