I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars, And the pismire is equally divine, And the swale and drop of rain that falls on the river, And the mote of dust is an eye’s conclusion.

I believe in you, O nature, In your vastness and your complexities, Your depths of forests and heights of mountains, In the whispers of wind and the songs of the streams.

I believe in the joy of the sunrise, The golden hour of daybreak, In the quietude of twilight, And the quiet stars that beckon us from the night.

I believe in the texture of the soil, The fragrance of the blossoms, And in the touch of fresh dew on the flowers, All of which speak to my spirit’s core.

• Walt Whitman