Earth Day in the Shadow of COVID

20 April 2020
Earth Day

We look forward to a day when we can join hands in person again.

Seeing the darkness when glancing out of the window,
Eyes longing, hands folded in hope that a bright light will glow,

Which helps to guide those dear souls who have departed,
Leaving each one of us so very broken-hearted,

In what is clearly a very difficult period of time,
Exposing the spiritual and physical mountains that we need to climb,

Grant us with more good health and compassionate care,
Freeing us from toxic news and the blighted air, 

May the light travel so far to help cure and heal,
Helping all beings to break free from this horrendous ordeal,

Full of sickness, sadness, pain and immense fear,
In an utmost painful time of this challenging year,

Please, illuminate and energize our mind, body and heart,
Bestow upon us opportunities for renewal and to live smart,

Whilst we are all staying so far apart,
May we strengthen our connection through each of our hearts,

Creating a culture where each of us is loved and is safe,
And no precious being is alone and feeling afraid,

Which will, in turn, strengthen our shared mutual bond,
Spreading empathy and kindness to each other and beyond,

Connecting with each other about how we are feeling,
Spending valuable time together to assist mutual healing,

Our actions becoming focused on service through humility,
Taking a very small step in restoring our society to the concept of glory,

In which we take solace in Mother Earth no longer being so hurt,
And we apply a sincere effort to put our precious Environment first,

Just as melting points and further dangers unravel,
It is not only important to just reduce our travel,

But to continuously engage in actions of "recycle, re-use and reduce,"
At each step reflecting on what we shouldn't use and lose,

Introspecting on how we could all work in synergy,
Including the reducing of our consumption of water and energy,

As our climate is beginning to get so much hotter,
Our world will need such an abundance of water,

A vital priceless resource, which is so rapidly running out,
Already resulting in hunger, disease and tragedy without a doubt,

Being responsible for the destruction that our sea life has faced,
As they encounter in their safe home, our immense plastic waste,

Knowing that we are polluting and creating such toxic air,
Putting all beings at risk and requiring extra health care,

Yearning to breathe healthily through a clean fresh breeze,
Then let's halt the destruction of our beautiful trees,

Knowing that we are indeed what we eat,
Increasing CO2 emissions, it's time to give up consuming meat,

Creative green changes can be made to our religious rituals,
Eventually these eco-friendly practices will become absolutely habitual,

Deepening collaboration to break the vicious cycle of greed,
Reflecting on our culture of consumerism, taking only what we really need,

Starting to eliminate personal habits we require no longer,
We pray to overcome these times and emerge so much stronger,

Spearheading a future of caring spirituality that we co-create,
Lifting off of our souls these material burdens and heavy weights,

Cancelling out negativity and showing more resilience,
Through collective dedication and our consilience,

Now is a perfect and timely opportunity,
To create a much stronger, environmental sense of community,

Through tackling the pain and destruction that we are seeing,
At the same time, committing to improve our personal well being,

URI Cooperation Circles are pioneers of environmental actions,
Let us continue our domino effect of positive outcomes and reactions,

We are all children of one Earth our Divine Mother,
The protector, like whom there is absolutely no other,

As the light guides us to mark Earth Day today,
Let us make peace with and shield our Earth each day, every day.