Warm sun, cool breeze,
A cloudless sky above the trees.
The magnificence of it all brings me to my knees.
A spider so tiny with golden eyes,
It is amazing how it even survives.
The magnificence of it all brings me to my knees.
The ocean so different minute by minute,
Violent waves, sometimes calm, all the creatures within it.
The magnificence of it all brings me to my knees.
A bright red ratsnake grabbing some meat,
Feel for the mouse, but a snake’s gotta eat.
The magnificence of it all brings me to my knees.
A daisy so common, an orchid so rare,
The beauty of both cannot be compared.
The magnificence of it all brings me to my knees.
Everywhere we gaze, there’s splendor around,
From desert to mountain, even city and town.
The magnificence of it all brings me to my knees.
If we open our eyes, just notice and look.
Show others what’s not on a screen or a book.
The magnificence will bring us all to our knees.
In this simple way we can teach love for our Earth,
Reveal to others Pachamama’s worth.
The magnificence will bring us all to our knees.
So I bow my head with this fervent prayer,
That those of us who know have the daring to share.
And we build a magnificent, grateful world on its knees.
—
Becky Bolt was a wildlife ecologist for 35 years on the Kennedy Space Center until she retired in 2022. She started Bolt Outdoors in 2020, a nature education company with a mission to teach people that no matter where you are, there is something natural and beautiful to be found. She wrote a book for beginning bird watchers called My First Birder’s Life List and does daily nature posts on Bolt Outdoors Facebook and Instagram.
