Do they know?

These butterflies are from the hill in Bulgaria where I hid from the border police.

The morning surrounded by nature opened my heart. It brought back memories of hot summer days, grasshopper catching, and the deep sheen of burnet moths. I realised how grateful I am for a childhood rich in empty time playing in nature. The parental effort for this education: my mum nearby, reading a book in the sun.

Many of my own generation have their own kids now. For a better chance of safeguarding our planet and their futures, please allow your kids to develop deep connection to nature.

I wrote this poem, about them, for you.

Do they know
The crest of a skylark,
The outline of a peewit,
The sting of a nettle,
The restlessness of the cabbage white,
And if not
Will they care?