Magnificent
A galaxy sparkles and spins
with millions of suns within
one we know of yellow glow
holds a planet, blue and bold,
flowing waters rush
through foliage, green and lush,
in its oceans and land, creatures
meander and bustle among its features:
volcanic mountains, glacial valleys,
dessert dunes, rainforest canopies;
small beings so diverse
of themselves, a universe,
digging in, building high,
planting here, flying skies,
creatively problems solved
a better world made for all–
gathering in song and dance
celebrating magnificence.
We, creatures of earth,
Small, but builders of giants,
In awe of ourselves.
We are such small things in the universe, yet we are able to build and create magnificent solutions to our needs.
Electric, dark clouds,
Anchored by cabled wires, stretched
Across a nation.
The Grand Coulee Dam provides not just power, but also irrigation for otherwise a dry eastern Washington. [USBR Fact Sheet]. We engineered it — we small things of the universe– promoting the general welfare for all of us.
But what is most magnificent in this celebratory picture is the diversity of our humanity, together, celebrating our freedoms, our basic rights for all, for we are all created equal [See also Universal Declaration of Human Rights].
Music, dance, food, cultural sharing, booths– the image shows what’s possible, what is the best about us, the vision of humanity that, together, we can do anything.
Celebrate your life,
Share your day with others; sense
the essence of us.
This is truly magnificent.
And this is what we hold on to in our hearts.
What displays this magnificence in your community?
About the picture:
This is one of my favorite pictures. It’s created with the app Painteresque from a Fourth of July photo during the Grand Coulee Chamber of Commerce‘s Festival of America. We even used it as the cover for a tab in our local newspaper.
The festival, though sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce, is implemented each Fourth of July by volunteer community members in the park below Grand Coulee Dam, whose 155 mile long reservoir is known as the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area.
This post is part of the 2018 Summer #WriteOut in places, parks, poetry, and doodles with #Clmooc. Learn more at CLmooc blog and National Writing Project / National Park Service WriteOut
Photos/ Images / Poetry by Sheri Edwards
Magnificent and here