Reflection

Reflection

Living in Brazil has given me an unparalleled opportunity: to visit the world-renowned Amazon Rainforest. Standing there in the middle of the rainforest I was humbled by its vastness and biodiversity. But I knew that the forest is dying, being stripped of its life every day. Writing, poetry and spoken word are my way of conveying the complex emotions I felt in that moment in a way that everyone can relate to in their own, personal way. And what better way to do that than a visual poem? I decided to write a poem in the form of a traditional Shakespearean Sonnet, but contrasting the standard meter and rhyme with a visual representation of the two very different futures. Additionally, the two middle stanzas of the poem are, in theory, interchangeable and placed side by side. This formatting allows for the reader to choose their path when reading the poem, much like I perceive humanity as capable of choosing its own path when it comes to deciding collectively how we are going to face climate change. This brings me to my final message: the forests our one of our biggest allies when it comes to combatting climate change, and they deserve not to be affected by our actions. They deserve to thrive just as they help us thrive. And through small changes in our actions and big initiatives like advocacy and joining environmental organizations, which I know I will take part in, we can all make a difference to “save our forests’ gleam”.