Earth

I am a limb.
Outcropping of earth.
Sipping and absorbing.
Patient flutter of leaf,
Simple slosh of stream,
Diligent patter of rain,
Proud beacon of sun,
Immutable power of mountain,
Enfolding bed of dirt,
Vibrant blanket of grass,
Timeless journeys of stars,
Carving breath of wind.

Seeds fall,
Nestling in the dirt,
Dreams of sprouting under the beckoning sun.
Roots stretching through nourishing black,
Nursing til time allows the head
To burst forth,
Enter a world of light and heat.

Grasping moist air,
Unfurling in soothing sun,
Emboldened by spring rain.
Body new to the land,
Vital and sweet,
Thriving with strength,
Yearning to grow.

Dreams of decay appear,
Quiet and quick at first,
Deep and miserable over time.
Hints of withering and the waning age,
Brown not green,
Curled not straight,
Brittle not supple.

A final act,
After a life of consuming,
Atonement now, for slating the thirst.
The loosing of seeds,
A promise of life,
At the hands of death.
Under the bed of grass,
Pressed into the mold,
Joining, transforming.