permaculture

[Jack Rowe <jackrowe@compuserve.com>]

A prayer (to God, Self, the Great Silence, Us, Cosmos, Void, Whomever, All
of the Above) for Thanks Giving:

PRAYER FOR THE GREAT FAMILY

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.

                                        Gary Snyder, after a Mohawk prayer