What Was Once the Largest Shopping Center in Northern Ohio Was Built Where There Had Been a Pond I Used to Visit Every Summer Afternoon. (Mary Oliver)
“Loving the earth, seeing what has been done to it,
I grow sharp, I grow cold
Where will the trilliums go, and the coltsfoot? Where will the pond lilies go, to continue living their simple, penniless lives, lifting their faces of gold?
Impossible to believe we need so much as the world wants us to buy.
I have more clothes, lamps, dishes, paperclips, than I could possibly use before I die.
Oh, I would like to live in an empty house, with vines for walls, and a carpet of grass.
No planks, no plastic, no fiberglass.
And I suppose sometime I will.
Old and cold I will lie apart
From all this buying and selling, with only the beautiful earth in my heart.”
I love this poem by Mary Oliver. I feel sadness when I think of the “trilliums” having to leave. I recall the building of a major freeway near my childhood home and wondering where the animals would go now that their homes were turning to asphalt.
The phrase most meaningful to me from Lenore’s time with us was “Hope Is My Relative”. When my travel group visited Pine Ridge Reservation in 2018 we were told we were relatives. We were welcomed graciously. In spite of the extreme poverty the residents shared their artwork, their stories, their history, their pride. After so many years of suffering and tragedy I was deeply moved that we were accepted and welcomed, and given a tour of the Red Cloud school with open discussion of abuses.
It is tempting to dwell on the tragic loss of the trilliums. We need to hear the stories of Turtle Island and listen carefully to native history and ways – this is one approach to moving toward healing the earth. Most helpful to me is the encouragement to know what are the local issues – how can I/we get involved in creation care here in St Paul – here in Minnesota. For me, asking “How can I be a good relative” means examining issues nearby and offering my time and compassion.