A Simple Thank You

by Jean Sarmiento,
Coordination Circle, Love The Everglades Movement

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Aho Most High!
Aho Pachamama!
Aho Ancestors, Grandfathers, Grandmothers,
and to All My Relations! –

I come before you in a good humble way like that
with appreciation and gratitude in my heart,
Thank You guys that always make it to our Healing Waters prayers
and to everyone out there that takes the moment in their lives
to honor and respect these waters... your waters. 

We apologize and ask these waters for forgiveness
for it is us that demand these technologies
these towers that change the structure of the water
It’s us who demand these sugars,
It’s us that demand and support the Industries
that gladly, carelessly pollute the waters
thus we ask forgiveness and patience.

We recognize these waters:
as the link between the known and unknown
the rational and irrational
We recognize:
this water binds us all, be mindful
that the water you’re drinking today is the same water your ancestors drank.

So
we send our Love and Gratitude to these waters
and we thank them for everything they do for us,
Thank You for being there
when we bathe, cook, clean, drink, release our wastes,
for being that source
that fountain of life
we honor your simplicity and complexity.

Not just these waters here in the Florida Everglades but
all the bodies of water across the globe that are under threat
we send that healing
energy to the oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, creaks, canals, rains, wells, aquifers, the glaciers
and of course that good healing
for the waters inside of us
so that they may be still and pure,
the waters in the wombs of the mothers to be
so when their waters break
the world will receive these newborns
with better water quality than their parents did.

We send this healing to
all those millions of men, women, and children
who don’t have access to clean water
to our indigenous brothers and sisters
who are viciously getting their water taken from them
in the name of profit.

We know what we wanna see...
We wanna see the waters clean
the return of the microscopics
the invertebrates
the mammals that feed on them
We wanna see the return of the birds, bears, deers, Panthers.

We know what we don’t wanna see..
Is this world go to WAR because of lack of water.

Don’t wait for the waters to be gone to start
appreciating them, My People,
a simple Thank You goes a long way

Thank You, brothers and sisters,
and remember

Preserve, Restore and Conserve -
ONE LOVE FLORIDA EVERGLADES