ACRYLIC PAINTINGS/POEM
By Lily Ramos Burrows and Genevieve Balance Kupang
This commemoration of World Environment Day extends beyond June 5. The care for our common home is a daily commitment we ought to uphold. All global citizens in various localities of the ecosphere need to support and act on the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Ecosystem restoration includes holding up to the dream of seeing our surroundings as healthy and thriving like these paintings below by Lily Ramos Burrows. It is also experiencing the magnificence of creation in its natural, pristine beauty as they enchant and beckon the soul to recharge and heal.
Free as the alluring birds and whistling insects
I enjoy climbing the hills and highland elevation
reach the seventh heaven raptured in bliss
wrap up with the beauty of the high mountains
Immerse with the fire of love from the majestic sun
I can see its rays reach my home near the river below
And watch the pine trees and swards dance gracefully
As the wind energizes my rosy cheeks and blows my hair
Then the clear, deep water draws me to jump and wade on
Take pleasure in the water with my back and breaststrokes,
energizing aqua aerobics and relaxing mental calisthenics
Love forest bathing in an ecosystem that doesn’t need restoring.
Let us do our part! Stop environmental plunder (SEP) and start ecosystem restoration (SER).
Aspen Colorado Forest
Squirrel in its Treehouse
Farm in West Virginia
Sapphire Coast in Australia
Serene Burnham Park
Skagway, Alaska
Tropical Paradise in My Dream
Rocky Mountain National Park
Black Water Falls, West Virginia
#StopEnvironmentalPlunderStartEcosystemRestoration
#SEPSER
#UNWorldEnvironmentDay
# UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
#BaukoMountainProvince
About the writer:
Genevieve Balance-Kupang. An affiliate of the Silsilah Dialogue Movement and a core team member of the Episcopal Commission on Interreligious Dialogue of the CBCP. C-authored a book on World Religions and Belief Systems published by C & E Publishing, Inc., and the series Our Nation, Our World by Sibs Publishing House, Inc. Chair of the Special Interest Groups (SIG) of the World Council for Curriculum and Instruction (WCCI), and a trustee of the Asian Social Institute. A researcher, consultant, anthropologist, and advisor to individuals and organizations engaged in working for good governance, justice, integrity of creation, peace, the indigenous peoples, and societal transformation processes. With a career in the academe and NGOs.
About the painter:
Lilia Ramos Burrows, a Filipino of Igorot descent. Studied Nursing in Australia, currently working as a registered nurse in a Neurology/ Orthopedic unit in the USA. A cultural orientation teacher for Indochinese refugees, a Girl Scout volunteer and an artist. Her interest in environmental preservation is integrated into her Girl Scout volunteering and also an inspiration to most of her paintings, which showcases the beauty of nature and its abundant benefits to humans and all creatures.
