dreams make things seem better at times
wisking one away to another place and time
questions in the air swirling
from both young and old alike
as requests for stories are made —
        stories once told —
        stories to be sung
        on cold winter nights
        a time for learning — togetherness —
strong bonds being formed or renewed
this was a time when Mother Earth
was much respected, that and all Her creatures —
both large and small — lived good lives
with no worries around aerial hunting
with no worries about their homes
with no worries about Her sentinels
being threatened by the chainsaw
all respected the beauty around them
all were good stewards — treading softly —
waters ran pure both above and below ground
this was a time of balance, of harmony
two-legged and four-legged lived together
as did the winged ones and those that crawl
in peace, each respecting each other's place
things were much different for a long time
        long before the greed
        before there were those who
        wanted to possess everything
        to destroy it without thinking
those who are ruled by the green god
but some still dream of these times
when everything was respected,
when the waters were plentiful and pure
no sinkholes appeared —
no substances to pollute these waters —
when trees were allowed to reach for the sky —
no misbegotten plans to thin them—
no meadows left bare or with open wounds —
        songs were sung —
        all walked in beauty
        all walked in beauty
        all walked in beauty