Gratitude

Gratitude to Mother Earth, sailing through night and day  -
  and to her soil:  rich, rare, and sweet
    in our minds so be it

Gratitude to Plants, the sun-facing light-changing leaf
  and fine root-hairs, standing still through wind
  and rain, their dance is in the flowing spiral grain
    in our minds so be it

Gratitude to Air, bearing the soaring Swift and the silent
  Owl at dawn.  Breath of our song
  clear spirit breeze
    in our minds so be it

Gratitude to Wild Beings, our brothers, teaching secrets,
  freedoms, and ways;  who share with us their milk,
  self-complete, brave, and aware
    in our minds so be it

Gratitude to Water:  clouds, lakes, rivers, glaciers,
  holding or releasing;  streaming through all
  our bodies salty seas
    in our minds so be it

Gratitude to the Sun:  blinding pulsing light through
  trunks of trees, through mists, warming caves where
  bears and snakes sleep - he who wakes us -
    in our minds so be it

Gratitude to the Great Sky
  who holds billions of stars - and goes yet beyond that -
  beyond all powers, and thoughts
  and yet is within us -
  Grandfather Space
  The Mind is his Wife

    so be it.

~Gary Snyder (After a Mohawk Prayer)~