Whose earth is this..???

Whose earth is this anyway..??
These rivers of sand so eager to escape my fingers,
When they fall and form the land...
Can I really call this sea of soil mine..?

Can the ground that has seen a billion years
Belong to someone who will barely see seventy..?

If I call this earth mine, why is it that when I go,
I will not take it with me, but instead, it will take me..

Whose earth is this anyway..? Who is its ultimate master..??
O Lord of the Universe, your earth will never be mine

But give me leave to take from its whispering river, its silent oceans,
Its temperamental sky, its intemperate people, its impalpable energy

And give me the wisdom not just to take but also to give
With intergrity, humility and compassion,
My industry and the fruits of its labour.

The energy I receive,
With energy I must return
May others aspire to do the same

May others ask the question
Which has long since answered itself...

Whose earth is this anyway..????