The Girl and the Sky

A little girl looked up to the sky 

“So big and far away, it’s like that, why? 

I don’t know why you are 

The way that you are 

But you have far shining stars 

And I’m but a trying cry.” 

The sky bent down to the ground where she sat

And murmured softly, “You’re but a lass,

So young with such promise,

I’ve seen it go by.

But you’re here right now

So look at the flowers, 

Don’t cry.”

Isn’t the world changing so fast?

Haven’t the days we’ve known

Almost wholly gone past?

Where are the bluejays, the startling colors?

Where is the wonder, not thunder, the sunburns of summer?

“Aye,” cried the sky, now that you say,

“I’m choking on smoke,

I’m beat up and broke,

I’m torn and I’m worn 

And I’m shorn of my hope!”

“But you still are blue, e’en behind the clouds

Your colors are true, your face is so proud!

Your tears give me life 

I’m sorry your strife

Is cause of my parents and grandparents and human amount!”

“It’s not one, but it’s all,”

Said the sky with a sigh,

“It’s not just one person’s fault,

But the shared blame is the shame

Which prevents us from acting!

You’re worse if you’re silent 

For you’ll find hurt by your neighbor’s violence!”

In the rain which poured down

The girl wept with the sky 

The drains drank up the water 

And tears fell from her eye. 

What now, my sky, where can I go

When the entire earth is 

sunk to death row?

How can I make fire to feed a starving world

When fire is stolen and used to make gold

That the true people won’t see,

That will kill the honeybees,

And without honey, without sugar,
Without life or love 

Without wonder we plunder

I’m so sad, sky, I’ve fallen under!

“But these are happy tears,

I have not fear 

but hope! 

I will protest my hope

For you!

So she danced in the rain from the sky,

As a glimpse of sun veined the tear-trodden earth,

And the girl and the sky danced together.