Sometimes Mother Nature *****!
But we can’t live without Her.
It behooves us to pay attention to
Her whims and learn about Her.
 
If it weren’t for Mother Nature
We would NOT be here.
Because of HER we can survive
In Earth’s atmosphere.
 
The indispensable light from Her sun
Helps vegetation grow
By allowing for photosynthesis
Here on Earth below.
 
Thermal energy from the sun
Causes evaporation,
Which in turn supports life on Earth
Through welcomed precipitation.
 
The soothing sun caressing the earth,
The gentle breezes and rains,
The towering peaks, the rolling hills,
The lakes, the rivers, the plains...
 
How beautiful Mother Nature can be!
But, oh, She has a dark side—
A sometimes wild and violent demeanor,
A harsh and extremely stark side.
 
Parched by fiery rays of the sun,
The earth suffers damage and drought;
Lakes and rivers and streams dry up,
And destructive fires break out.
 
Gentle breezes become tornadoes
And hurricanes in violent forms.
And lovely rains turn into torrents
And cataclysmic storms
 
That flood our cities and towns and fields,
Causing death and disease;
Then freezing temperatures sometimes follow—
Nature’s angry reprise.
 
Sometimes the ground upon which we live
Suddenly rolls and shakes,
Or spits out fire and volcanic ash
And creates hot lava lakes.
 
So often we have some wonderful moments
When nature can delight us;
But don’t forget there are snakes and mosquitoes
And other creatures that bite us.
 
Doubtless, Mother Nature deserves
Both our awe and respect.
Of course She’s fickle, but still She doesn’t
Deserve our abuse or neglect.
 
Her whimsical ways confuse and confound us,
But we have to cut her some slack.
Mess with Her and—oh, my goodness!—
With a vengeance She’ll strike back!

- by Bob B