Earth

At school I learnt how tectonic plates moved.

Their sliding, shifting, wanderings

always there beneath the earth’s skin.

I learnt how the Amazon forest

was considered the lungs of the planet,

and watched presenters with sweat slicked skin

meandering in small wooden boats

along the forest’s main, arterial vein.

I learnt that I was part of a predator,

its jaws already closed around the world,

teeth sunk into flesh.

I learnt that I would be needed to do my part

and watched as change came slowly,

creeping along, stuttering and stalling,

and I hoped that all those little parts,

would be enough.

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I’m playing catch up a little today. Yesterday’s prompt for NaPoWriMo was to write a poem in honour of Earth Day. Funny enough, Earth is also today’s daily prompt for WordPress so I don’t feel so bad about being late since I’ve been able to combine the two prompts in this poem.