The unnamed voice of the poem represents an individual waking up to their environmental blindness. The speaker initially viewed the ground simply as a backdrop for plants and animals to exist. Seeking forgiveness, they move from a place of ignorance to one of profound realization regarding humanity's origin and dependence on the earth. They act as a representative for all humans asking how to better serve the natural world.

Personified as a living entity, dirt is the fundamental element that sustains all life. It acts as the skin of the terrain and a governing, democratic force that supports everything on Earth. Rather than just dusty topsoil, dirt operates as a maternal foundation that brings forth life, feeds it, and eventually takes living things back in upon death to rotate and orbit.