Three Essential Things

Photo Courtesy of Rod Sorenson rcoakley.com

never relent in the protections of—
our peaceful tracts of open space
our waters that deliver and keep life
and our dark skies of hope beyond
such realms form a timeless refuge
that thrives on—to sustain each of us
in godly service of human kindness
these gifts offer us a healing touch
physically, mentally, and spiritually
including the infinite life that prospers
beside us, below us, and over us
and if these sanctums of wilderness
offered in our divine Creator's trust
are lost or neglected in our pride
we will wither in living knowledge
and expend an interminable price
we will forfeit our places of refuge
upon this flawless work of creation
and we will lose that sacred haven
bound inside a protected wilderness
of nature, solitude, and empathy
waiting in our minds and our hearts