Heaven’s Earth
By John Herlihy

I
Geysers gushing forth from the earth as fountains,
The fine tracing in the distance of elegant mountains,
Sleepy behemoths huddled together lying at ease,
The angry colors of blue and gray filling moody seas,
Rainwater gathering in hollow mountain caverns,
Pristine springs bursting forth from deep fathoms,
Lazy beaches kissing the ocean with their porous sand,
Mighty rivers rushing forward cultivating the land,
Emptying their strength into the mouth of a vast sea,
That swallows them up, always hungry and forever carefree.

II
As a young child, I wanted nothing better than to grow up quick;
The sight of the distant horizon was enough to make me sick,
Sick with longing as I sat on the front porch of my family home,
Staring beyond the distance where in my mind I could freely roam.
I imagined the trace of looming mountains and the color of endless seas,
Nature’s powerful images that touched my face like a gentle freeze.
I made a sacred vow as a child that I would preserve until today,
To journey across the vast earth to see what Nature had to say.
I sat back against the railing with a sigh, giving myself time to grow;
Heaven’s earth spread before me, a woven carpet only God could sew.