Today, in 1872, Republican President Ulysses S. Grant signed legislation that made Yellowstone National Park - America's first national park. This verse, from Red, White & Blue, commemorates Yellowstone and all the "spaces of awe" we preserve and cherish.
Spaces of Awe
Like the tranquil hush before a master’s art,
The aura of our national parks imparts
An awe profound, a reverential hush,
A sense sublime, in nature’s tranquil blush.
This awe, inherent, visceral, and deep,
Awakens in our hearts a leap,
To fathom nature’s vast, complex scene,
Where we are but a fleeting dream.
In the heart of Wyoming’s rugged clime,
Lies Yellowstone, transcendent and sublime,
Its borders stretch, in a grand array,
Into the realms of Idaho and Montana, they stray.
In 1872 came the decree
From President Grant, bold as could be,
To preserve this land, its beauty untamed,
America’s first, the world’s first it was named.
This land, a canvas of time unrolled,
Home to Native peoples, ancient and bold,
From the Clovis culture of yore,
To Nez Perce, Crow, Shoshone, and more.
Through this park, the Continental Divide
Causes rivers in opposite courses to glide,
Snake and Yellowstone, in their majestic flow,
Obeying nature’s dictate, in a timeless show.
Geothermal wonder, with geysers in sight,
Over a thousand, to the viewer’s delight,
Among them stands Old Faithful, with fame,
Living up to its given name.
Yellowstone teems with life, wild and free,
Elk and grizzly, in nature’s jubilee,
An array of flora, diverse and wide,
Echoing the land’s resilient pride.
The park, a witness to life’s grand capacity,
Preserving our planet’s invaluable legacy,
Yellowstone, in all its majesty unfurls,
A beacon of wonder, in the heart of the world.
In the face of grandeur, we feel small,
Yet connected to the universal sprawl,
This awe, now studied in modern age,
Reduces stress, happiness engages.
It fosters bonds, encourages kindness,
In the face of nature, what lies behind us,
So let us honor, preserve and uphold,
These spaces of awe, more precious than gold.
By: Greg McNeilly