Elizabeth Baker's "Sapphire" pictures the Earth as a blue gem, and the whole poem builds on that comparison. The first stanza is full of admiration: forests, gardens, a sunset that spreads like fire, and a view that is beautiful "as far as the eye can see." The second stanza adds the creatures that live here in balance with one another.
Then the tone shifts. Gems can wear down, the speaker says, and humans are the ones doing the damage. Words like "wrath" and "at our mercy" make us sound like a threat to something that cannot defend itself. The speaker feels both awe and worry, and the worry turns into a plain plea: don't let it erode, take care of it. The short, blunt ending, "It will end," leaves a sober, uneasy mood. The poem starts in wonder but finishes as a warning, and the stakes are clear.