By Lauren M. Powers
I am the river!
for whom no one is allowed
to speak.
I am the life force of this land
that you are prepared to put at grave risk.
I am connected to all life for the length of my shores
and beyond; to the fishes
in the sea,
and the birds in the air,
to the bears that walk freely,
to all plants from here to there.
I am Providence
the spirit residing within us all,
food, water, air, sustenance.
No part of me can be violated
without affecting all of the
dependent aspects.
I am sacred and holy
as is this Precious Earth,
our Cosmic Motherland.
If you discount my voice
because it originates from beyond your immediate interest,
then you discount our
connectedness
which is damning, critical to
future generations.
It is ignorant.
Conscious ignorance, plagued with bad intent for all mankind.
It resonates the lack of the sacred in your lives
and wreaks havoc across
the Earth.
I am the river of tears
cried by your ancestors
for the return of the pristine,
the respected.
Your ‘progress’ is but a
transgression against
our grandchildren, and great grandchildren,
as well as your own.
Against humanity.
You consider yourself clever
In your manipulation of the voices allowed to speak,
in behalf of the Earth, at
your ‘consultations’.
Eliminating opposition to your loveless intent,
supposedly with our best
interests at heart,
you seek to diminish everything loving and pure
in your pursuit of profits, power.
Do not pretend this is
for our good.
Do not insult us with your
perception management
techniques.
I am the river and I will not
be silenced!