Madre Tierra

Natalie Ayala, Professional

Madre Tierra, stands so firm,

With gentle gestures throughout the earth.

With motherly affections and embraces so tight,

How can we miss such a lovely sight?

Madre Tierra, mysterious and bright,

Give us wisdom, give us your insight.

With wonders and visions beyond our comprehension,

Every detail requires our undivided attention.

Madre Tierra, so fine and graceful,

Teach us to be just a bit more grateful.

With all the contents of her worldly possessions,

She gives, just a glimpse, of her earthly expressions.

Madre Tierra, sustainer of life,

Brings hope to creation, brings hope to our lives.

With a mind full of wonder, and a soul full of hope,

How pleasant she is to be amongst us folk.

Madre Tierra, from the depths of time,

Always faithful, always divine.

About the Author:

Natalie Ayala graduated from the University of California, Riverside with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. She has worked at Children’s Hospital of Orange County, UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Cedars-Sinai as a clinical research coordinator. There she obtained her phlebotomy and Certified Clinical Research Professionals (CCRP®s) certifications to assist her in her role. She is a co-author of a published peer-reviewed research article in the Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders international journal. Additionally, she is acknowledged in several other published peer-reviewed research articles for her contributions to diabetes and melanoma clinical research. She currently volunteers with the sick and homebound and works with underprivileged children at a bilingual elementary school as she prepares to take the MCAT. She plans to apply to medical school to become a hematologist-oncologist, where she will continue doing clinical research as a Principal Investigator.

About the Work:

This poem is a homage to Madre Tierra to increase awareness of her indispensable and vital existence. Action is urgently needed to help care for Madre Tierra to improve the conditions of our environment and its inhabitants. It is all our responsibility to do what we can to help Madre Tierra survive the effects of time and to provide a hopeful future for generations to come as we are remarkably interconnected until the end of time.