I f
                                       the earth  were  only  a
                             few  feet   in   diameter,   floating  a
                       few     feet     above    a    field    somewhere,
                  people     would     come    from     everywhere   to
              marvel     at    it.      People     would    walk    around   it
           marveling    at    its     big     pools    of     water,     its    little
         pools    and     the     water     flowing   between     the    pools.
       People   would     marvel    at    the   bumps    on    it,    and    the
     holes    in    it,    and    they    would    marvel    at   the    very    thin
    layer   of  gas   surrounding    it   and    the   water     suspended   in 
    the   gas.   The    people    would    marvel    at    all    the    creatures
    walking  around   the    surface   of   the   ball,   and   in    the   water.
    The  people    would    declare   it  precious    because   it   was    the
     only  one   and   they   would   protect    it   so   that   it   would   not
       be   hurt.     The    ball     would     be      the     greatest     wonder
        known,  and    people   would   come    to    behold    it,     to  be
          healed,   to     gain   knowledge,     to      know    beauty   and
             wonder   how   it   could    be.      People    would   love  it,
                and   defend   it    with   their     lives,    because  they
                    would    some    how     know    that   their   lives,
                        their    own  roundness,  could  be  nothing
                             without    it.      If    the  earth   were
                                   only    a    few     feet    in
                                               d i a m e t e r.
 
Author unknown
 Special thanks to John McConnell, 
Founder of Earth Day, for this submission.
January 2000