before this, there was nothing more than this

the tide shifts
no matter the wind,
devoid of purpose,
abandoning the surface,
nothing more than Earth
nothing less than sea

then here Earth crawls on
content, no matter the era,
content, no matter the residents,
nothing more than sand and rain,
nothing less than Her constant breath

and there is nothing greater than this,
nothing more precious than life’s pulse,
no matter the daylight,
no matter the moonlight,
tides steadily shifting
as Earth crawls on,
Her breath speaking of hope
summoning Her descendants:
“before this, there was nothing more than this”