This year, I have formed part of a wonderful project that has taken place across all borders. Our thoughts and wishes for our Earth have sparked so many wonderful images and inspiration. A special “thank you” to
and for igniting this inspiring space.“The Future of Nature” is an Earth Day community writing project for fiction writers to explore the human-nature relationship in a short story or poem. It was organized by
and , and supported with brilliant advice from scientists @JDTonkin and . The story you’re about to read is from this project. You can find all the stories as a special Disruption edition, with thanks to publisher .Please note that several publications in the scientific field mention the term “stardust”. In the article cited at the end of this post the phrase is shown as a question.
We Are Stardust
To our wise and sacred Earth.
You watch to the infinite blue that birthed your mob,
Looked upon by warriors you are enthroned by night
Sky-fall(s)
The curls you nurse, child of your clan
A new warrior has been born to the watching stars
Dust of ancestors
Mothers gathered to tell our story
(Un)Countable, unheard in the voice of those calling
Terra nullius*
Colony, a home made of concrete and spiral stairs
Trying to reach you, only if they could touch
The folds of your feet
You, who lies on soil, sand, and rock
Holding your tools, tangled in dark and amber
Carved by light
You who sees the dark Spring to come
To seed the lawn of our endeavour
There is only this night
Before the day, what is left to ask but forgiveness (?)
To the seedling hum of helium* filling our lungs
To the speckles of lithium* making us smile
We come from within and if ever in desperation,
Our power and loss lies among the stars
Which we harvest from afar
They spark on the dark soil and stare in vanity
To the proud giant governing a process,
Unaware of your time
Man’s fault and rein drawn by stardust
A tale yet to be told, a night’s whisper to be had
Imagined
An ode to the bluest of all,
An ode to the breath that ignited it all,
—Breathe my child, breathe!
Note: This post was edited on 22 April 2025 as spelling and acknowledgment considerations were deemed incorrect / insufficient after initial publication.
Glossary
*Terra nullius: a Latin phrase meaning "land belonging to no one," was a legal fiction used by the British to justify colonization in Australia.
*Helium: An element released by Supernovas, and a constituent of human body
*Lithium: An element released by Supernovas, and a constituent of human body. Lithium was first used as mood stabiliser in 1800, its exact mechanism of action is yet to be further explained.
Bibliography
Kerry Lotzof, Title: Are we made of stardust? Article on Natural History Museum. Date of publication unfound on source (estimated 29 Jan 2024). URL: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/are-we-really-made-of-stardust.html
Image: Courtesy of Australian Geographic and referenced in the article “Yes, Humans are stardust”. URL: https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/blogs/dr-karl-need-to-know/2023/01/dr-karl-yes-humans-are-stardust/
Terra nullius - this land belongs to no one should be the motto of a revolution.
As someone living on Dhudhuroa Country, this poem spoke deeply to me Alicia. Well done and thank you!