It’s been some time since I last ran so I’m slowly adding short runs to my morning walks. It feels great to see and notice the little things while running. There is so much visual information around us that running has become part of my art practice.
To honor Earth Day (April 22), I thought of sharing and recommending the children’s book, On the Day You Were Born by Debra Frasier. The story is marvelous and the illustrations are just beautiful.
On the Day You Were Born
by Debra Frasier
On the eve of your birth
word of your coming
passed from animal to animal.
The reindeer told the Artic terns,
who told the humpback whales,
who told the Pacific salmon,
who told the monarch butterflies,
who told the green turtles,
who told the European eel,
who told the busy garden warblers,
and the marvelous news migrated worldwide.
While you waited in darkness,
tiny knees curled to chin,
the Earth and her creatures
with the Sun and the Moon
all moved in their places,
each ready to greet you
the very first moment
of the very first day you arrived.
On the day you were born
the round planet Earth
turned toward your morning sky,
whirling paste darkness,
spinning the night into light.
On the day you were born
gravity’s strong pull
held you to the Earth
with a promise that you
would never float again…
…while deep in space
the burning Sun
sent up towering flames,
lighting your sky
from dawn until dusk.
On the day you were born
the quiet Moon glowed
and offered to bring
a full, bright face,
each month, to your windowsill…
…while high above the North Pole,
Polaris, the glittering North Star,
stood still, shining silver light
into your night sky.
On the day you were born
the Moon pulled on the ocean below,
and, wave by wave,
a rising tide washed the beaches
clean for your footprints…
…while far out at sea
clouds swelled with water drops,
sailed to shore on a wind,
and rained you a welcome
across the Earth’s green lands.
On the day you were born
a forest of tall trees
collected the Sun’s light
in their leaves,
where, in silent mystery,
they made oxygen
for you to breathe…
…while close to your skin
and as high as the sky,
air rushed in and blew about,
invisibly protecting you
and all living things on Earth.
On the day you were born
the Earth turned, the Moon pulled,
the Sun flared, and, then, with a push,
you slipped out of the dark quiet
where suddenly you could hear…
…a circle of people singing
with voices familiar and clear.
“Welcome to the spinning world,” the people sang,
as they washed your new, tiny hands.
“Welcome to the green Earth,” the people sang,
as they wrapped your wet, slippery body.
And as they held you close
they whispered into your open, curving ear,
“We are so glad you’ve come!”
Enjoy…and best wishes to all the Boston Marathon runners!
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