Independence

The earth was patient, waiting for pause and stillness, for balance and peace. The earth was patient, knowing better than to take the struggle of others into itself until they needed rest. The earth was patient, compassionate that they fought so hard to win the day - as short and sometimes unremarkable as those days were. The earth was patient, concerned with growing things in a natural rhythm that felt like hope. The earth was humble in the face of their violence, because they had taught it about oppression and tyranny and gain and loss (so much loss). The earth was patient, because it would continue without them and it searched always for something beautiful to remember them by.