A Woman Named Earth

 

In the time long ago was a woman named Earth who harvested the seeds of the Sun and Moon and planted them in the velvet night.  They grew into bright shining stars.

 

Earth Woman was pleased with her task of bringing the children of the Sun and Moon into stars but she had no children of her own and it saddened her.  So one day she took and ate some of the seeds and before she even realized it flowers and buds sprang from her and trees and grasses spread upon her like soft fur. This pleased her but didn’t satisfy her because even though they were her children they seemed to feel the Sun and Moon were their parents and did not see her though they rooted in her supple skin. 

 

So she ate some more Sun and Moon seeds and laid eggs and all the birds and snakes and reptiles and other creatures that come from eggs crawled on her and fish swam in her deep eyes.  This was better but still she felt lacking, her breasts had filled with milk but these children would not suckle.

 

So she ate some more seeds and soon gave birth to all the furry creatures who suckled on her pap and snuggled close.   She felt great comfort and joy but these creatures were too independent and after a short while went to wander in the woods and her valleys.  She saw that the stars joined the Sun and Moon floating in the sky and wanted a child who could be a companion and call her Mother.

 

In desperation she ate one last seed.  The seed grew within her and she swelled.  The labor was difficult and she had great pain and gave birth to a naked helpless creature.  She thought it could not possibly survive but she held it close anyway and kept it warm. Soon it began to suckle and it grew and soon called her Earth Mother and gave her love and she was now complete.

 

It saw the Sun and Moon and loved his other parents.  This child loved his brothers and sisters, too, the stars and all the other beings of his great family.  Earth Mother had done well.