Earth Day could be Ocean Day, since the earth is 71 percent water by surface area. The Pacific Ocean alone covers nearly a third of the planet!! New England is merely a small smear on the coast of one continent, and my home just a tiny pinprick. And yet, my small neighborhood yields such beauty, especially considering it snowed last week.

Earth Day is April 22, and the first was in 1970 in the U.S. The U.S. holiday was meant to  create a focal point for environmental awareness, because of the mess business interests had made of our land and waterways. Now, more than a billion people in 180 nations across the world celebrate Earth Day. Many people celebrate by planting trees, bushes or flowers. Many companies celebrate by starting recycling campaigns or cleanup initiatives. 

I plan to celebrate by walking in the woods and by sharing this song of awe.

Planet of Connection

On a quiet day, nothing moves.
Yet, the earth flies around the sun
Faster than a bullet speeding from a gun.
Molten rock seethes deep in its inner core,
Air is hot at the equator but frozen at the poles.

Geysers spout, mountains fall,
Rivers carve stone and move ships.
Water is moving, as is the wind, the air
And the earth itself: tectonic plates shifting,
Earthquakes and weather spiraling.

The Moon pulls the life-filled oceans
Into ceaseless waves, even while lighting the night,
And aligning rhythms deep inside each of us.
Our blood and breath, always moving,
Like our thoughts, never still.

We are all connected, and yet
We are all separate, each mind alone.
The same elements make up each of us.
Whatever our color, religion or location.
We are all stardust, water and earth.

Copyright 2014 Brenda Davis Harsham

References: http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2014/04/22/earth_day_2014_a_few_fun_facts_about_our_planet.html

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local/illinois&id=9511926

http://www.earthday.org

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/04/140421-earth-day-2014-facts-environment-epa/