. 
Yesterday was the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day. As sometimes happens, even in quarantine, the day got away from me. Meetings lasted longer than expected, with little time left to devote to writing a poem worthy of the occasion. And although it’s important to have a day set aside to call attention to and raise awareness about our one precious Earth, every day is Earth Day for me.
An Earth Day ABC
An atlas of the world can’t
Begin to reveal the
Complexity of connections, the
Diversity of life on
Earth.
For centuries, curious humans have
Grappled with questions, searching across
Hemispheres, seeking
Insights into our home, finding pieces of the
Jigsaw puzzle, gaining
Knowledge and
Learning the lessons
Mountains teach us. The earth
Nurtures and nourishes us. We are
Obligated to
Protect her, preserve her. Our reckless
Quest for riches is irresponsible. Actions
Ripple across the globe, casting
Shadows on life everywhere.
Today and everyday, seek to
Understand the
Vulnerability and vitality of our
Wondrous world.
eXchange hubris for humility. Change begins with
You.
Zoom in and discover nature’s abundant gifts.
Draft © 2020, Catherine Flynn
Previous “News From the Natural World” poems:
April 21: Nature’s Harmony
April 20: Crowns of Moss
April 19: Propagation
April 18: At the Pond
April 17: The Red Chair
April 16: Dear Venus
April 15: Listen
April 14: Ode to a Tide Pool
April 11: What Does A Bird’s Egg Know?
April 10: Clusters of Clover
April 9: Song of the Pink Moon
April 8: Jewel of the Jungle
April 5: Phantom of the Forest
April 4: To Build a Nest
April 3: Apple Cake
April 2: Specimen
April 1: Forest Snail
Reading to the Core 
This poem calls to mind the alphabetic and acrostic prayers in Jewish tradition. Like the nonet earlier in this series, the alphabet, it seems to me, imposes a structure or discipline on the writer. Nice!
Alice Horning
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I hope that I’ve helped, and have “zoomed in” to learn as much as I can so I do as little harm as possible. I know you were caught, Catherine, but this is wonderful, encompasses so much important for Earth Day!
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These poems are difficult to write. You have successfully created a flowing poem that is so inspirational.
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Wow! if this is what flows when you finally have time to focus….just wow! I didn’t realize it was an abecedarian poem until I re-read the title. Bravo! And, the map so beautifully works with the words…yes, let’s zoom in and discover gifts.
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