“When we try to pick out anything by itself,
we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.”
~ John Muir ~
Please be sure to visit Laura Purdie Salas at Writing the World for Kids for the Poetry Friday Roundup.
“When we try to pick out anything by itself,
we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.”
~ John Muir ~
Please be sure to visit Laura Purdie Salas at Writing the World for Kids for the Poetry Friday Roundup.
Reading to the Core 
This is a passionate poem. It is our duty!
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What a wonderful quote from John Muir –perfect for a golden shovel! I really love the idea that we’re “hitched to everything else in the universe.” It’s both inspiring and daunting. Let’s hope we can return to good stewardship of our small, wonderful part of the universe. Thanks for a powerful reminder.
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This is a strong comment from John Muir & a stronger poem you’ve cleaved from it & enlarged to remind us of our duty, dear Catherine. Appreciations for this call to action for truly: We. Are. All. Hitched.
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I just finished reading “The Overstory”, and then reading about the rollback of the water restrictions made me so upset. Your poem is beautifully heartfelt, Catherine. Yes, we are hitched to everything else, our duty to the earth. Thank you!
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I am in awe of this quote and your poem. Both are so brilliant. In my research I am reading about the history of logging. I’m repeatedly confounded by how people can countenance their understanding and grief over what havoc they wreck upon the land, and yet continue to do it.
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Sigh–I love both the original quotation and your expansion of it into a poem. Something about each thing being hitched to everything else is so evocative…
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I love this poem as a toast, as a call to action, a response to Muir, a beautiful poem. This poem is full and rich. You’ve done well…’We must reject greed.” “find it in our hearts to be grateful.” “our duty…our well being…our everything.” Sigh. You’ve done well, Catherine.
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Well done, Catherine, on all levels. “rejecting greed, being thankful … protecting…gifts” — we all can do.
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“hitched to everything else in the universe.” Your entire poem is beautiful, but those last few words are especially powerful! So well-written, Catherine!
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Thanks for this powerful poem and Muir’s original quote that you built it from. I like this line especially,
“rejecting greed, being thankful for the Earth itself
Timely poem Catherine, especially with the next climate strike march upon us.
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Wonderful golden shovel poem with a great message
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