Which Earth do you choose to believe in? Which Earth do feed belief into?⁠

I used to believe in only the green, lush and growing Earth, but having painted both, I ‘m coming to understand that we cannot deny the dying Earth amid the living Earth.

I’m still trying to find a way to hold space for this duality in my heart – continue doing and believing and creating towards the beauty and overcoming, but holding with peace that there must always be suffering.⁠ Each new encounter with death reminds me of this.

I wrote an Earth Poem recently to try to speak into these feelings.⁠

Dear person whose name I do not know,⁠
in this community in which we grow,⁠
⁠
Dear maker in-spite of all your inflictions,⁠
being creative amidst these restrictions,⁠
⁠
Dear giver despite burdened limitations,⁠
feeding, sheltering and providing sanitations,⁠
⁠
Dear birds that fly away at dawn and return at dusk,⁠
urging me to discover the things I must,⁠
⁠
Dear afraid and hungry, doing the best you can,⁠
along cynics and sceptics, also doing the best they can,⁠
⁠
Dear glorious breath I get to draw every day,⁠
Dear ache, dear pain that feels here to stay,⁠
⁠
This Earth, will pulse on, no matter what,⁠
She too does the best she can with what she’s got.⁠
⁠
There is always sun while there’s moon,⁠
somewhere nourishing rain, yet somewhere monsoon⁠
⁠
We’re not in this together in exactly the same way,⁠
But together we are,⁠
There’s no other way.⁠
⁠
~ EarthDay 2020⁠
.⁠

To view more paintings inspired by our living planet check out the full 365 gallery.