Monday, January 31, 2011

PRAYER FOR THE GREAT FAMILY by Gary Snyder

Gratitude to Mother Earth, sailing through night and day--

and to her soil: rich, rare, and sweet

in our minds so be it.


Gratitude to Plants, the sun-facing light-changing leaf

and fine root-hairs; standing still through wind

and rain; their dance is in the flowing spiral grain

in our minds so be it.



Gratitude to Air, bearing the soaring Swift and the silent

Owl at dawn. Breath of our song

clear spirit breeze

in our minds so be it.



Gratitude to Wild Beings, our brothers, teaching secrets,

freedoms and ways; who share with us their milk;

self-complete, brave, and aware

in our minds so be it.



Gratitude to Water: clouds, lakes rivers, glaciers;

holding or releasing; streaming through all

our bodies salty seas

in our minds so be it.



Gratitude to the Sun: blinding pulsing light through

trunks of trees, through mists, warming caves where

bears and snakes sleep--he who wakes us--

in our minds so be it.



Gratitude to the Great Sky

who holds billions of stars--and goes yet beyond that--

beyond all powers, and thoughts

and yet is within us--

Grandfather Space.

The Mind is his Wife

so be it.





after a Mohawk prayer

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