Earthvoice

Burned bunch grass on Mt. Sentinel, representing joy and resilience in the face of disturbance. Photo by Elani Bothegyi.

By Elani Borhegyi

They say the Earth has no voice

That she can't hear you when you call

But tell me why she always be here

When you ain't at all

They say the Earth has no voice

Yet you fear the cold

The heat, the snow

When she screams you turn the other way

They say that the Earth has no voice

But she been tryna call

The Earth has always been here

Caring for us all

The Earth is all I know

My house is burning alive

I have nowhere to go

I only hold faith that we will survive

They say the Earth has no voice

But you can hear her winds

The dance in her grass

And the way she spins

They say the Earth has no voice

Now they telling me to evacuate

The fire is close

I'd rather burn and wait

The Earth is all I know

My house is burning alive

I have nowhere to go

I only hold faith that we will survive

We didn't believe her scars

We didn't listen to the wails

We didn't talk back when she asked

If we love her too

The Earth spoke to me her every word

Brought the fire here

Now it's too near

Now we're all ears

Listening as the wood pops

And the foundations crumble

Bass Lake, a source of joy and refuge after a long, exhausting, and freezing day of snow shoeing. Photo by Elani Borhegyi.

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Elani Borhegyi is an Environmental Science student at the University of Montana. They are passionate about climate change, bugs, and vegan ice cream. In their spare time, they hike, backpack, bike, and tree climb.