An Ode to Sentience

Quiet, now.

Watch.

Watch, feel, be.

Still.

Halt.

Listen.

Listen to the quaking trees.

Now lift your lids,

Gaze.

Gaze past yourself and me.

Open your being up.

See all the colors the world can be.

Silence.

Sound.

Collisions, opposites abound.

Yes, now stay focused and

Ground.

Soak in and dip deep down

Then when you’re ready,

When you’re sound,

Tell me what there is,

Show me the hues you’ve found.

I see the soft flick

Of wings in air

Parched leaves

And the sun’s bright glare

I hear the call of

Creatures low

Swishing tails

And reefs aglow.

I feel the dance of

Bursting night

Grinning stars

Among shadow-laced sight

I sense multitudes, I sense cores,

Worlds of wonder, ocean floors

Space stretching onwards, open, under

Ripples and folds and galaxies’ thunder

The groan of an engine

The ring of a laugh

Snippets of lives,

passed, full, new, and half

People breathing,

People stumbling,

People growing and people crying

Us dancing to the

Cosmos’ rhythm

Lighting up the sky

We’re beautiful,

We’re one

We dream of stars

And acts undone

We’re the world

The world’s our sun

Everything between

Is part of our one

Our Earth is wild and embracing

Our Earth is all and it is nothing

Our Earth is fragile and it is singing

We live and love in its being.

We are it’s people, unending.

We are our own, eclipsing.

The colors I see,

They’re many.

They transcend eyes

And names of any.

The colors are here.

The colors are immense.

Though only if one looks,

One has sentience.