Others call me an orphan,
but that’s not what I believe.
My mother is always around me,
whether I’m in Anchorage or Surat.

She is the home of animals and birds,
both living and dead.
She nurtures not just one but many
and weaves them into a ballad.

She can also be destructive,
demolishing lands with a single shake
and engulfing places by spitting fire.

Like others, she is impure –
some places polluted, some untainted.
The only ones who can clean her
are her children, dedicated
to returning a lifelong favor.

She is my mother – the Earth.

Written By: Nivedh Govil, 12 years old