May Mother Earth Forgive Me

By Sydney Vogel

despite my inhibitions.
i find myself willing

(desperate, craving, ever so pliable)

to fell redwoods in your name,
to melt icebergs and drain oceans,
all to feel your patient smile

(as it gently warms the earth i stand upon)

heal the damage i’ve torn.

if only i could etch
half my love for you into my bones
(words as eternal as the gaping maw of soil and fungi allow)
and send the other half to the stars.

(for only the infinite and knowing cosmos could truly understand my
truest devotion towards you.)

Sydney Vogel is a teenager from Santa Ynez. She enjoys knitting, reading or watching sci-fi, tabletop gaming with friends, and learning as much about the world as she possibly can.