One of the assignments for my Climate Justice class this semester is to keep an “Earth Encounter” journal. Each week, we spend at least ten minutes observing the same piece of land. I chose to focus my journal on Southside Park, the place that puts the “park” in Parkview. I love Southside Park. I have spent countless hours walking in the park, enjoying the swings on the playground, and observing the ducks and geese on the water. Southside Park is holy ground to me. The following poem is an original work, reflecting on the beauty of the earth and the revelation of God found in Creation.

Southside Park

Cattail cotton floating like snow on the wind.
A fishing line caught up in a tree branch.
An abandoned donut box left on a park bench.
The cawing of birds in the air.
The whistling of wind through the leaves.
The warmth of the sun on my still-wet hair.
The glimmering light on the water.
A cat walking along the bank of the lake.
Yellowed stalks and bright green shoots.
Geese swimming in pairs, signaling the start of Spring.
The humming of trucks on the freeway.
Children’s laughter rising up from the playground.
People lounging in the grass.
A breath of relief from the work week’s demands.
The leaves of the newly planted trees stretching and reaching to the sky.
Promising renewal.
Revealing hope.
My sister.
My brother.
Children of the One Creator, God.
New life is coming to this place.
And if God has remembered to bring new life here,
 Maybe new life is coming to me soon, too.

--from Earth Encounters by Veronica Gould