“When you open your heart to connectivity with the Earth, whether that means a walk on a nature trail, a stroll beneath the moonlight, or a sitting-session beside the ocean, you rediscover bliss, compassion, 
creativity and peace,” says Long Island-born-and-raised poet River Ripa. “We need to move away from loving the Earth being a hippie thing—it’s a human thing. It’s at the innermost of every human being to love Mother Earth.”
Of the Earth: Planetary Poetry is a spiritual and imaginative quest into the lessons offered by nature. The collection is inventive, with each poem having its own voice, plus golden threads of Ripa’s muses. Ancient Taoist parables and Hindu scripture; Native American prayer and Aboriginal dreamtime; the creativity of Italo Calvino and environmentalism of John Muir all can be felt in her words.
“It has been a privilege to put this collection together and take the reader on a journey through the many landscapes—both inner and outer—of this extraordinary existence,” Ripa says.
Ripa has been writing poetry as long as she’s been writing her ABCs. She has received accolades from the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association and Philosopher’s Stone Poetry. A free spirit, she follows her heart and her poetry wherever she hears the Earth call. She’s lived in India, Colorado and Peru; she’s rafted through the Grand Canyon, camped in the Australian outback, and hiked through the rainforests of Costa Rica to connect more deeply with the planet.
“We are all of the Earth—there is no side to take in that matter,” Ripa says. “By connecting with the Earth, by appreciating the biodiversity of this planet, we connect with and protect the most essential part of our nature.”
Ripa currently lives in Lima, Peru, and continues to write every day.
Of the Earth: Planetary Poetry is available on Amazon at Amzn.to/2C5wbXS. For more information or to connect, visit Facebook.com/RiverRipa, follow RiverRipa on Instagram, or email [email protected].
