Dave Bonta's "Earth Day" is a four-line gesture of gratitude. The speaker kneels, a posture of prayer or humility, and thanks the earth, who is addressed as "her." The act feels almost religious, though there's no god in sight. The thing being worshipped is the world itself.
What stands out is how the speaker praises her. The world is "sweeter than milk," a comfort that suggests nourishment, like something a child is fed. But the speaker doesn't sanitize it. She comes with "sin and sand," so the thanks includes the flawed and the gritty, not just the beautiful. Then "lush dining and discourse with time" points to abundance: eating, talking, and the long unfolding of the years. Judging by the wording, the earth seems to be in an ongoing conversation with time itself.
The mood is quiet, humble, and warmly appreciative. It reads less like a celebration and more like a private moment of thanks.