The #They/#Them #pronouns of #nature

I caught myself flat-footed
stopping, standing, for a moment,
comprehending the inadequacy
of my words, my vocabulary
stealing them of their majesty, their worth.
 
She had pointed out the snowy egret,
the water bird standing, hunting,
at the edge of the reeds, the water,
transfixed, shining, aglow;
I merely said, "I see it."
 
The word "It" doesn't cut it
impersonal, objects, things only,
denying plants, animals,
all living creatures
of agency, of power, of life.
 
These words reject their uniqueness
their non-binary nature
for not all of them are easily categorized
called He or She, identity
a humanness to our vocabulary.
 
The They/Them pronouns of nature
of all living creatures
even of mountains, of rivers,
maybe "they" comes closest
when primary names are unspoken
to give them autonomy, agency, to give them life.
 
====
Edited June 3, 2022
The They/Them pronouns of nature
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/06/the-theythem-pronouns-of-nature.html
Edited June 2, 2022
The pronouns of nature
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/06/the-pronouns-of-nature.html
Edited June 1, 2022
They all flow downstream – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/06/they-all-flow-downstream-v3.html
Edited May 30, 2022
They all flow downstream – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/they-all-flow-downstream-v2.html
Edited May 30, 2022
Do dandelions have maternal instincts – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/do-dandelions-have-maternal-instincts-v2.html
May 29, 2022
Do trees have mouths
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/do-trees-have-mouths.html
May 29, 2022
They all flow downstream
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/they-all-flow-downstream.html
May 29, 2022
Do dandelions have maternal instincts
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/do-dandelions-have-maternal-instincts.html
edited May 29, 2022
scrambling the lizards – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/scrambling-lizards-v2.html
May 26, 2022
scrambling the lizards
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/scrambling-lizards.html
#alert edited May 24, 2022
if the walls have ears – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/if-walls-have-ears-v2.html
edited May 24, 2022
What is the ocean singing – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/what-is-ocean-singing-v3.html
edited May 24, 2022
What is the ocean singing – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/what-is-ocean-singing-v2.html
May 23, 2022
What is the ocean singing
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/what-is-ocean-singing.html
May 23, 2022
If the walls have ears
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/if-walls-have-ears.html
edited May 22, 2022
the pronoun of plants – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-pronoun-of-plants-v2.html
edited May 22, 2022
A story in their turning
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/a-story-in-their-turning.html
May 21, 2022
the pronoun of plants
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-pronoun-of-plants.html
edited May 20, 2022
the agency of nature – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-agency-of-nature-v2.html
May 20, 2022
Turning towards the sun
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/turning-towards-sun.html
May 20, 2022
the agency of nature
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-agency-of-nature.html
May 19, 2022
Goldenrod and Asters
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/goldenrod-and-asters.html
edited May 19, 2022
in the time scale of mosses – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/in-time-scale-of-mosses-v2.html
May 19, 2022
in the time scale of the mosses
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/in-time-scale-of-mosses.html
May 19, 2022
In the language of the cosmos
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/in-language-of-cosmos.html
&
edited/new name May 18, 2022
pausing, looking up at the blue sky
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/pausing-looking-up-at-blue-sky.html
May 18, 2022
what is the sky trying to tell me
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/what-is-sky-trying-to-tell-me.html
May 18, 2022
what did the waves say (sing) to you
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/what-did-waves-say-sing-to-you.html
May 18, 2022
Can you hear the song of the creatures
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/can-you-hear-song-of-creatures.html
May 18, 2022
the whisper of the mosses
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-whisper-of-mosses.html
edited May 18, 2022
cries of the sky above us – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/cries-of-sky-above-us-v2.html
May 18, 2022
cries of the sky above us
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/cries-of-sky-above-us.html
May 18, 2022
nature loves us back
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/nature-loves-us-back.html
May 17, 2022
The sentience of the woodlands
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-sentience-of-woodlands.html
edited May 17, 2022
What is nature trying to tell us – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/what-is-nature-trying-to-tell-us-v2.html
adding second stanza
&
May 16, 2022
Of course the solution is water, hydrogen
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/6437456/6512516252340684924
April 20, 2022
PBS Newshour piece by Miles O’Brien
“Could hydrogen be the clean fuel of the future?”
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/could-hydrogen-be-the-clean-fuel-of-the-future
&
May 16, 2022
What is nature trying to tell us
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/05/what-is-nature-trying-to-tell-us.html
listened May 15, 2022
May 12, 2022 (original broadcast 2016)
On Being with Krista Tippett
Robin Wall Kimmerer
“The Intelligence of Plants”
https://onbeing.org/programs/robin-wall-kimmerer-the-intelligence-of-plants-2022/
&
edited April 10, 2022
We are all spirit, breath – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/04/we-are-all-spirit-breath-v2.html
April 10, 2022
We are all spirit, breath
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/04/we-are-all-spirit-breath.html
written after listening to the
2016 On Being interview
with Eugene Peterson
https://onbeing.org/programs/eugene-peterson-answering-god/,
rebroadcast April 7, 2022
 
All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com)  for usage. See all 53,000+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com  Poetry Where You Live.
poetry, Christ, God, Spirit, grace, love, Eugene Peterson, The Message, bible, calling, faith, joy, hope, prayer, Gospel, Good News, spiritual, spirit, breath, wind,
 
#poetry #God #Christ #love #grace #Spirit #faith #prayer #calling #Gospel #TheMessage #spirit #breath #wind #EugenePeterson
 
-----------------
poetry, God, nature, creator, creation, On Being, Robin Wall Kimmerer, intelligence, plants, moss, history, time,
 
#poetry #God #nature #creator #creation #OnBeing #RobinWallKimmerer #intelligence #plants #moss #history #time
 
---------------
poetry, God, nature, creator, creation, laws, elements, air, water, fire, earth, H2O, hydrogen, oxygen, vehicles, electricity, elegance, simplicity, design, intelligent design, abundance,
 
#poetry #God #nature #creator #creation #laws #elements #air #water #fire #earth #H2O #hydrogen #oxygen #vehicles #electricity #elegance #simplicity #design #intelligentdesign #abundance
 
------
poetry, God, nature, creator, creation, On Being, Robin Wall Kimmerer, intelligence, plants, animals, ears, stories, mouths, history, time,
 
#poetry #God #nature #creator #creation #OnBeing #RobinWallKimmerer #intelligence #plants #animals #stories #mouths #history #time
 
--------------
poetry, God, nature, creator, creation, On Being, Robin Wall Kimmerer, intelligence, plants, animals, history, time, stars, universe, multiverse,
 
#poetry #God #nature #creator #creation #OnBeing #RobinWallKimmerer #intelligence #plants #animals #history #time #stars #universe #multiverse
 
------------
poetry, God, nature, creator, creation, On Being, Robin Wall Kimmerer, intelligence, plants, moss, history, time,
 
#poetry #God #nature #creator #creation #OnBeing #RobinWallKimmerer #intelligence #plants #moss #history #time
 
------------
poetry, God, nature, creator, creation, On Being, Robin Wall Kimmerer, intelligence, plants, goldenrod, asters, purple, gold,
 
#poetry #God #nature #creator #creation #OnBeing #RobinWallKimmerer #intelligence #plants #goldenrod #asters #purple #gold
 
------------
poetry, God, nature, creator, creation, On Being, Robin Wall Kimmerer, intelligence, plants, animals, agency,
 
#poetry #God #nature #creator #creation #OnBeing #RobinWallKimmerer #intelligence #plants #animals #agency
 
------------
poetry, God, nature, creator, creation, On Being, Robin Wall Kimmerer, intelligence, plants, flowers, sun, light,
 
#poetry #God #nature #creator #creation #OnBeing #RobinWallKimmerer #intelligence #plants #flowers #sun #light
 
---------------
poetry, God, nature, creator, creation, On Being, Robin Wall Kimmerer, intelligence, plants, animals, agency, pronouns, creatures, they, them,
 
#poetry #God #nature #creator #creation #OnBeing #RobinWallKimmerer #intelligence #pronouns #plants #animals #creatures #they #them #nature #agency
 
------
poetry, God, nature, creator, creation, On Being, Robin Wall Kimmerer, intelligence, plants, animals, ears, stories, mouths, history, time,
 
#poetry #God #nature #creator #creation #OnBeing #RobinWallKimmerer #intelligence #plants #animals #stories #mouths #history #time
 
-----------------
poetry, God, nature, creator, creation, On Being, Robin Wall Kimmerer, intelligence, plants, moss, history, time, war, fighters, jets, bombers, alert, lizards,
 
#poetry #God #nature #creator #creation #OnBeing #RobinWallKimmerer #intelligence #plants #moss #history #time #war #fighters #jets #bombers #lizards
 
------
poetry, God, nature, creator, creation, On Being, Robin Wall Kimmerer, intelligence, plants, animals, maternal, feelings, dandelions, spiders,
 
#poetry #God #nature #creator #creation #OnBeing #RobinWallKimmerer #intelligence #plants #animals #maternal #feelings #dandelions #spiders
 
------
poetry, God, nature, creator, creation, On Being, Robin Wall Kimmerer, intelligence, plants, animals, water, lake, river, ocean,
 
#poetry #God #nature #creator #creation #OnBeing #RobinWallKimmerer #intelligence #plants #animals #water #lake #river #ocean
 
------
poetry, God, nature, creator, creation, On Being, Robin Wall Kimmerer, intelligence, plants, animals, trees,
 
#poetry #God #nature #creator #creation #OnBeing #RobinWallKimmerer #intelligence #plants #animals #trees