Updated date:

Nov 23, 2018

A Million Years of Sleep - Free Verse Poem

Author:

Rinita is a creative writer, with focus on poetry. She delves into several forms including Haiku/Senryu, Sonnets, Free Verse, and Prose.

Background

There hasn't been any significant change over the past few decades with regards to how we have been treating our planet, our Mother Earth. It is time to take note of the fact that she is tired, and may not be able to go on much longer.

The Poem

Wrapped in my bluish-green cloak

I have been walking

Walking

Walking towards the flames

At times with a stab of ice

The gold washes over my blue

The white smears across my green

I keep walking

Walking

Been eons since I slept

My own children, they hurt me

Blazing their horns, they ride my soul

With putrid smog, they blind my eyes

And I am walking

Walking

My first-borns, dear they were

Drifted off to eternal slumber

I draped their shrouds with

My bright, concrete silhouette

I am tired of walking

Walking

Lay me down, let me dream

On a bed of crimson cover

My tired eyes long to rest

And sleep for a million years

I would be no longer

Walking

Comments

Rinita Sen (author) on September 10, 2020:

Thank you for your warm comment, Theblogchick. Happy to share.

Theblogchick from United States on June 23, 2020:

Great poem Rinita. Thanks for sharing

Rinita Sen (author) on November 25, 2019:

Audrey, thank you for visiting and for echoing my thoughts. Only if everyone did their bit, Mother Earth would thank her children.

Audrey Hunt from Pahrump NV on November 25, 2019:

How very touching your poem is. Mother Earth, Gaia, is very tired indeed and we continue to waste her resources. Shame on all of us! Now is the time to take care of her

Mother is telling us loud and clear that our carbon-spewing, devil-may-care lifestyle is leading to destruction. Your message is clear - thank you.

Rinita Sen (author) on December 31, 2018:

Thanks for coming back, Mark. I hope so, too.

Mark Tulin from Palm Springs, California on December 31, 2018:

Beautiful personification of nature. While I know she’s awfully tired, I hope that we’d eventually get people in public office to give her a much needed rest. Well done.

Rinita Sen (author) on December 07, 2018:

Thank you, naive scribbler. Appreciate your visit.

naive scribbler from India on December 07, 2018:

Great Poem. Thought Provoking indeed.

Rinita Sen (author) on December 04, 2018:

Li-Jen, am always so happy to see you, my friend. Indeed, she is tired, and the burden is getting heavier. Thank you for echoing my thoughts.

Li-Jen Hew on December 04, 2018:

Hey Rinita. I enjoyed the Walk in the poem. :) The poem personifies Mother Earth and shows how we have destroyed her soul. The Walking in between the cruelty stanzas emphasizes the negative impact we make. It also shows that Mother Earth has been kind to us, how she carries us(her burden) on her shoulders haha..she's getting tired.

Rinita Sen (author) on December 03, 2018:

Thank you, Chitrangada. You are right, we all need to do our bit. Glad you visited today, and yes, we writers are in this world to spread awareness, through our words. Thanks so much again.

Chitrangada Sharan from New Delhi, India on December 02, 2018:

A very thought provoking poem, to which everyone must pay attention. It’s sad, but so true that the situation is becoming worse each day. Each one of us has a role to pay, to do whatever we can to save our Mother Earth. This is important for our future generations.

Thanks for drawing attention and spreading awareness, for an important cause.

Rinita Sen (author) on December 01, 2018:

Thank you, Rajan. Yes, you are right. All of us, Her children, must play our roles to relieve Her from the fatigue. It is already late. Thank you again for reading.

Rajan Singh Jolly from From Mumbai, presently in Jalandhar, INDIA. on December 01, 2018:

Very moving poem. Our Mother Earth truly needs a break. Each one of us has a part to play in it. I hope we understand this and act before it is too late.

Rinita Sen (author) on November 27, 2018:

Thank you, Tim. I will check it out. Also thanks for willing to read more of my humble creations. You are too kind with your comment.

Tim Truzy from U.S.A. on November 27, 2018:

Hello, Rinita,

Yes, my story is" "When We Leave Home for Another Place." It is on this site.

However, I'm looking forward to diving into your creative works more in the coming days. You are always thoughtful in your comments and show respect to other creative people.

Much respect and admiration,

Tim

Rinita Sen (author) on November 27, 2018:

Hi Tim, thank you for your visit and kind comment. Yes, sadly she strolls on. Would love to read your story. Is that on Hubpages?

Thank you again.

Tim Truzy from U.S.A. on November 27, 2018:

Excellent poem. Indeed, Mother Earth is tired, but like a good parent, she still is there for her children. She will continue to stroll on until she can do no more for her children because they refused to act grown up.

Beautiful work, reminding me of a short story I wrote about our Earth.

Enjoyed it immensely.

Much respect,

Tim

Rinita Sen (author) on November 25, 2018:

Thank you, Mark. She really is. Appreciate you stopping by today.

Mark Tulin from Palm Springs, California on November 24, 2018:

Beautiful and compelling. The planet is tired, indeed.

Rinita Sen (author) on November 23, 2018:

Thank you, John, for taking the time to read even when you are away. That explains why you haven't been posting your work for quite some time now.

Ironically, my country's government is not in denial, but whatever steps they are taking are by far "too little, too late". More importantly, it is the urban common man who is a disgrace to the name of Mother Earth's children. One-time-use plastics, unnecesarily using air conditioners, felling of trees to make living spaces, 2-3 cars per family, taking the car out even for a distance that can be covered by foot, the list of thoughtless behavior goes on and on. Sigh, we need to change, and the onus is sadly more on the coming generations.

Happy to see you today, my friend.

Rinita Sen (author) on November 23, 2018:

Thank you, Doris, for your heartfelt comment. Yes, I too believe in the power of meditation and prayers, and the hope that all will ultimately be well. It wasn't too difficult to find a picture that goes well with my poem, as this is a subject that artists have been dwelling on for several years, artists, who have always been way ahead of times. Thanks again for your kindly visit.

Rinita Sen (author) on November 23, 2018:

Thank you, Manatita, for appreciating my work, and also for thinking about me. Hope we writers can bring some solace to the desolate Mother.

John Hansen from Gondwana Land on November 23, 2018:

Rinita, I am away from home at the moment so I am a little slow to catch up with my reading. I have been concerned for the state of poor Mother Earth for many years but people still are not doing enough.

Your wonderful poem captures her sadness and feeling of despair.

My own present Government are climate change deniers but public opinion is changing and pressuring them to do more. So, like Ann, I am hopeful enough can be done to change the course of Mother Earth before it is too late.

Doris James MizBejabbers from Beautiful South on November 23, 2018:

Rinita, this is such a beautiful plea to humanity. A sad poem. Our mother earth is suffering, but I believe there is hope. There are thousands, maybe millions of advanced souls meditating to bring her peace and healing. I'm one of them who believes that light will win the war between darkness and light. As my metaphysical mentor used to say after a hurricane or earthquake, "Gaia has a bellyache." Yes, we need to keep working to cure her pain. I believe we will. Thank you, Dear Soul, your photograph of her is beautiful.

manatita44 from london on November 23, 2018:

A touching piece! Mother Earth is weeping, yes. She remains humble, loving, sacrificial in the midst of daily warfare.

An exquisite piece of poetry.

P.S. Thought of you today. Stay well.

Rinita Sen (author) on November 23, 2018:

Verlie, my friend, thank you for echoing my thoughts. A slow funeral indeed, that's where She's headed, and no, we aren't doing enough to stop it. You analyzed the poem well, as always. Take care, dear lady.

Rinita Sen (author) on November 23, 2018:

You are right about the planes, Ann. They are major contributors to Her sorrow. The mindset needs to change, hopefully some day.

Verlie Burroughs from Canada on November 23, 2018:

Rinita I love the dirge like quality you've so carefully created here. It reads like a slow plodding funeral march with the repeating chorus of "walking, walking, walking". Your Mother Earth is exhausted, that is clear. I feel this too every time (every day) that I read about another creature/species on our planet nearing extinction. Beautifully illustrated.

Ann Carr from SW England on November 23, 2018:

Sadly, we are also too dependent on planes. No one will ever give up those, especially governments and I guess business survives because of them too. What to do? A difficult one, but yes you're right, if we start with ourselves then there is some hope.

Ann

Rinita Sen (author) on November 23, 2018:

Thank you, Ann. Appreciate your thoughtful comment. Yes, you and I might not be around when it happens, but it will be a sad day for the universe when our planet says the final goodbye. I think it is as much the government's responsibility as of the common man. So many artists have expressed similar views in so many ways, but the layman reads, nods, and moves on. Unless every individual starts with small changes at home, survival of the planet is a lost cause.

Thank you again for reading.

Ann Carr from SW England on November 23, 2018:

This is such a moving verse; I love it. You have made a good plea for our planet. I heard on the news yesterday a warning that we are nearing the time when it will be too late to help our ailing planet - what a terrible thought!

It's time governments really woke up to this and forgot their squabbling and got together for a solution. Never mind politics, we won't have anywhere to govern soon!

Well done, Rinita!

Ann