Because of the earthquake that waits to occur for the
bride's wedding, we say thank you.
To the last flower that inhabited Earth,
we say thank you.
We say thank you to the bee that welcomes the butterflies to its hive.
No one has cried mournful tears today, and we are saying thank you.
We are saying thank you to the infant that has
just walked its first steps.
We thank the man who wears a purple bow tie
every time he leaves his house.
We thank the cloudless sky who embraces the sun with love.
Thank you to the milky white horse for its kind wishes of luck.
To the ocean that carries the boat of secrets
home safely, we say thank you.
We thank the soft whispers from raindrops for their evening tune.
For the soundless ball on the concrete court, we say thank you.
We say thank you to the crabs on the beach that give the children joy.
To the sunset that coils around the night sky, we say thank you.
For the dying animal that tells the young cub
“I will see you later,” we say thank you.
Though the evening has become sad, and the world has gone dark,
we say thank you.
After W.S. Merwin