Praise the Rain
Click THE PICTURE to hear the rain through the leaves.
"Praise the rain, the seagull dive
The curl of plant, the raven talk—"
~ from Praise the rain by Joy Harjo.
Inspired by the poetry of Joy Harjo, here are a few things I praised on my recent camping trip to Cherokee, NC. You can read the full poem, "Praise the Rain" at the end of my list.
Campfire concert with talented and generous friends.
Click to listen!
The Beauty of a Waterfall
Mingo Falls is a beautiful 200-foot waterfall near Cherokee and the Great Smoky Mountains. Click to listen to the falling water.
Majestic Elk
The elk of NC are a wildlife success story. They are mesmerizing!
Click the picture to watch this fellow run!
Nature's shadows.
Eating outside with friends.
Praise the Rain
Written by Joy Harjo
Praise the rain, the seagull dive
The curl of plant, the raven talk—
Praise the hurt, the house slack
The stand of trees, the dignity—
Praise the dark, the moon cradle
The sky fall, the bear sleep—
Praise the mist, the warrior name
The earth eclipse, the fired leap—
Praise the backwards, upward sky
The baby cry, the spirit food—
Praise canoe, the fish rush
The hole for frog, the upside-down—
Praise the day, the cloud cup
The mind flat, forget it all—
Praise crazy. Praise sad.
Praise the path on which we’re led.
Praise the roads on earth and water.
Praise the eater and the eaten.
Praise beginnings; praise the end.
Praise the song and praise the singer.
Praise the rain; it brings more rain.
Praise the rain; it brings more rain.
What have you "praised" lately?
Joy Harjo is an internationally renowned performer and writer of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. She served three terms as the 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States from 2019-2022.