It saddens me to know that alot of people walk through this life without noticing what nature has to offer. Often I find people that have never experienced waking up on a beautiful summer morning to unzip the tent flap and watch the sun rise and slowly lift the fog from the water. I have camped all of my life and this has given me great respect for nature. I realized a long time ago that we need to take care of this gift that has been given to us. We need to take responsiblity and stop blaming others.

The following poem is not Native American, and I wrote this long before I became interested in the Native American beliefs. My love and respect for Earth is what drew me to the Native Americans. They love and respect what is most valuable to all of us, Mother Earth.

Earth I try not to be naive... But why are you failing us so? Your stream are rotting in their beds... Your air is dark with invisible death... Your forests are diseased and decaying as we speak. Why have you let yourself go to waste?

My friend, you have a hard time finding fault within yourself. Only see your actions, not the harm they bring. You've dumped my streams full of chemicals... My air is dark because of careless industries... My forests are not diseased, what a strange delusion you have... You've cut them down for your own profit and greed.

This is an original poem and my not be reproduced in any form without express written condition from the author