E A R T H
‘Do you know me?’ said the country,
As it changed into the ranges,
Lulled itself into the gullies,
Made a passage for the seas.
‘You do know me’ smiled the country,
As it crusted in the sunshine,
Flourished fresh within the forests,
Freely offered up the trees.
‘I am older than all memory,
Yet exist beside you daily,
From my dust you take your body,
And to me you will return.
Yet you think you do not know me,
As your back is turned toward me,
There is nothing you can teach me
But so much that you can learn.’
‘When you know me’, spoke the country,
‘You will understand your being,
Like the dust between your fingers,
And the rock on which you stand.
For the song that you remember,
Is the echo of my whisper,
And the emptiness inside you,
Is the absence of the land.’
‘You must touch again your country,
Not with steel or with invention,
Not with greed and not with purpose,
You must reach out with your soul.
Learn to feel the world around you,
Let the music overcome you,
Lose yourself to find a meaning,
Break yourself to make you whole.’
‘There is wisdom in the ages,
And the landscape is eternal,
And that knowledge lives beside you,
Yet is not at your command.
Take the time to know your country
For its spirit lives within you,
And it resonates around you,
As it joins you to the land.’
W A T E R
‘Watch me closely’, said the water,
As it ran down from the mountains,
Falling soft upon the faces,
Lying bare upon the shore.
‘Are you watching?’ said the water,
As it rambled through the valleys,
Wandered free across the country,
Slept along the ocean floor.
‘I have moved among your people,
Travelled silent in your cities,
Shared the story of your families,
I have listened while you pray.
But you do not see each other,
Though each day you walk together,
And you share a common journey,
Still you do not know the way.’
‘You must watch me’, said the water,
‘For the truth is all around you,
And you share it like a river,
While you own it like a tear.
You are lost to one another,
As you search with eyes unopen,
And although the words are spoken,
Still you will refuse to hear.’
‘Hold on tightly to your mothers,
Follow firmly by your fathers,
Listen closely to their lessons,
Let them offer you the truth.
They have walked the road before you,
And have fought the battle for you,
And they hold a light to guide you,
Through the trials of your youth.’
‘There are lessons learnt by living,
In the knowledge of the elders,
In the learning of your forebears,
There is strength to stand apart.
So hold tightly to your mother,
Follow firmly by your father,
Heed the lessons of the old ones,
And retain them in your heart.’
A I R
‘You must listen’, the air whispered,
As it sifted over rivers,
And wound around the mountains,
Drifting gently over fields.
‘Listen close’ it murmured softly,
As it blew over the oceans,
Hurried fast across the deserts,
And the sands of time revealed.
‘I have travelled with your people,
As you walk the silent journey,
I accompany the lonely,
And am party to the crowd.
And you breathe each others whispers,
For you share a common purpose,
But you do not hear each other,
Or the fears you shout aloud.’
‘Listen closely’ still it harkened,
For the answers are before you,
And you own them like a breath,
Yet you share them like a breeze.
Still you walk the land in silence,
Ever searching for an echo,
Or a signal bell to follow,
As you drift upon the seas.’
‘Put your arms around the children,
Press your heart against their heartbeat,
Hold them closely to your bosom,
In a generous embrace.
For they walk the path beside you,
And they learn to travel by you,
And the love you give them daily,
Worldly goods will not replace.’
‘Come tomorrow they will lead you,
And will bear the load you carry,
And your words may be forgotten,
But your love will linger on.
So protect and hold the children,
And your journey will continue,
For the path you walked before them,
Is the road they ride upon.’
F I R E
‘Can you feel me?’ spoke the fire,
Cradled warm inside the open-hearth,
And rushing through the bushland,
Where lightning gave it birth.
‘Free your senses’ whispered fire,
As it crackled through the heavens,
Sprinkled softly as the sunshine,
Bubbled deep within the earth.
‘I have joined your celebrations,
And been worshiped in your temples,
Been an enemy to conquer,
And an ally to control.
Seen you look into a mirror,
And not see your own reflection,
As you search for missing pieces,
For you do not know the whole.’
‘Loose your senses’ roared the fire,
To yourself you are a stranger,
And you fear it like a wildfire,
Though you know it like the sun.
Still you yearn for affirmation,
And you long for understanding,
As you race to end the journey,
That you haven’t yet begun.’
‘You must listen to the spirit,
That is crying out inside you,
And is dying to release you,
From the ties that have you bound.
For the road that is before you,
Will be yours alone to travel,
And it’s only deep within you,
That the answers will be found.’
‘There will come another morning,
When the light that shines upon you,
Does not try to burn or blind you,
But will warm and light the way.
So reach out with all your senses,
Find the spirit deep within you,
For the questions of tomorrow,
Form the answers of today.
