2015 Declared the Year of Soil

The UN has declared this the year of soil. This is a movement to fight back against the agro-business which is poisoning our food, monopolizing seeds and unwisely forcing genetically modified plants into the environment. It must end. We must end it.

I am admittedly a dirt worshiper so this particular movement resonates with me. I penned this poem years ago in response to comments by Pat Buchanan accusing schools celebrating Earth Day of teaching children to worship dirt and it seems fitting for the moment.


Dirt!

Let us worship
dirt.
Let us revel
in the richness of soil.
Let us meditate
on our own composition,
from dirt we come,
to dirt we return.
Let us roll
in rich loam.
Let the compost heap
be our holy altar.
The world is a dirt ball
floating in cosmic dust.
The moon is dirt.
The universe is dirt
and all therein
the dance of dirt.
Dirt is life
and life dirt dependent.
Salt of the earth are we
and the mountains
our dirt cathedrals.
Dirt Dirt Dirt Dirt
Filth dung mud crud dust
Soil laden and excreting
with dirt under our nails
and feet of clay
we acknowledge our oneness
with Dirt.
Holy Holy Holy Humus
Basic art thou
to all that is
and in your embrace
is final peace found.
Who is like unto thee, Dirt
among the mighty
providing sustenance and life?

Blessed be
the Dirt under our feet!
Blessed be
the Dirt under our nails!
Blessed be
the Dirt that moves
in intimate complexity!
Blessed be
the components of Dirt!
We of the Dirt extol thee.