These Boots Weren’t Made for Digging

Summary

The website content is a reflective piece on environmental responsibility, expressed through a linked cinquain poem titled "These Boots Weren’t Made for Digging," which emphasizes the importance of sustainable practices over the use of harmful chemicals.

Abstract

The article presents a poetic call to action for environmental stewardship, using the metaphor of steel-toe boots to illustrate the harsh reality of human impact on the Earth. The author shares a personal experience of being stung while digging, which serves as a reminder of the interconnectedness of all life forms. The poem advocates for a shift from traditional, harmful agricultural methods, such as tilling and the use of insecticides, to more sustainable practices like mulching. It suggests that by adopting these eco-friendly approaches, we can heal both the planet and ourselves, as our well-being is intrinsically linked to the health of the environment. The piece is written in response to a prompt by Indubala Kachhawa, urging readers to contribute to environmental conservation, and it acknowledges the collective responsibility we share in protecting our planet.

Opinions

The author believes in the importance of personal action in environmental conservation, suggesting that individual efforts, no matter how small, are significant.
There is a clear stance against the use of harmful chemicals like insecticides, which are seen as detrimental to both the earth and human health.
The author expresses a deep appreciation for nature and advocates for a reciprocal relationship with the Earth, emphasizing that a healthy environment leads to a healthier human life.
The poem conveys a sense of urgency and a call to change current destructive practices, proposing alternative methods that are more in harmony with nature.
The author values the lessons learned from direct interaction with nature, implying that such experiences can lead to a deeper understanding and respect for the natural world.

Let’s save this place: a linked cinquain

Photo by William J Spirdione

Old steel toe boots I think I’ll keep to dig this place I rarely turn. While digging through the soil’s thin skin I’m stung. I run. You’d think I’d learn. Bee’s sure to thrust that stinger deep.

When swelling starts I feel the burn of venom stinging deep within. Our Mother Earth forgives. We feel appreciation once we’ve been out here a while. For here I yearn.

No till instead we’ll mulch and grin. Boots walk this path we know for real won’t poison us. The trail is steep. Insecticides won’t help us heal. Sweet earth’s and ours are most akin.

Written in response to Paper Poetry’s June Prompt, ‘Get your shoes on and do our bit for the environment.’

It’s all of our responsibility to protect this, our only, planet. We each can do our part and anyone who would like to write about a part you play, no matter how small and inconsequential it may feel, will find the instructions for the prompt in Indubala Kachhawa’s plea to ‘Get Your Shoes On’ and do your bit for the environment in her piece below…

I wrote this poem as a ‘Linked Cinquain.’ Carolyn Hastings described my first poem using this form as, “Cinquains with eight syllable lines in iambic tetrameter with an interlocking abcba bcdcb cdadc rhyme scheme.”

Photo by William J Spirdione

GET YOUR SHOES ON

These Boots Weren’t Made for Digging

Let’s save this place: a linked cinquain

Get Your Shoes On

You have an important task to do