A great gray elephant,
A little yellow bee,
A tiny purple violet,
A tall green tree,
A red and white sailboat
On a blue sea –
All these things
You gave to me,
When you made
My eyes to see –
Thank you, God.
[National Society for the Prevention of Blindness, Inc]
God gave me the world when God gave me sight – and touch, smell, taste, and hearing. Through these senses, I discover the world.
But I have to remember that all these things aren’t my personal possessions. God-given is an offer of sharing, not a transfer of ownership.
(A Great Gray Elephant, Poems and Prayers For The Very Young; selected by Martha Alexander; New York: Random House, 1973)