Earth, I am yours!

Child of your body beautiful,

Warm, brown and garmeted in green.

I can remember no other speech but yours,

Calling in deep-throated cadences of tides,

In pipe of waterfowl

And cries of beasts ...cleaving the night;

In melody of streams,

In songs of birds and beating of their wings.

Your name is graven on my heart;

I learned it from swirl of troubled pool;

In hieroglyphics,

Upon uncurling tender leaves

And in the writing of eucalyptus hands

Athwart the course of the Moon.

I never long to leave you

And there is no tempting me

With tales of radiant journeys

To far-distant orbs.

Many you bear

—Feel a maturity

That draws their hearts from you;

But I yet sense

The umbilical that binds me to you, Earth!

Let me stay with you and be one of those,

Your children, who remains at home

And spends

In loyal cherishing of you

All time allotted!

Clothe me in many forms,

Hold me breast-near and whisper of your lore,

Let my hand know the last beat of your heart—

Earth, I am yours!